Skip to main content

Wreaths Across America

When I lived in Maine, I drove by Wreaths Across America in Harrington, I didn't know what it was all about. This year, I ordered a wreath. Not just one wreath, but two. One came to me and the other was placed on a veteran's grave in Sean's honor. Today, I attended the ceremony at the Raleigh National Cemetery.


Hundreds of wreaths blanketed tombstones of veterans of all branches of the military.



The band began to play...

As the JROTC from two area schools looked on


The ceremony began with an introduction from the Daughters of the American Revolution

before the flags were brought in by a local unit of the Civil Air Patrol and Rolling Thunder.



The ceremony continued with a prayer and proclamation by the Sons of the American Revolution.


And then came the part we all were waiting for, the dedication of the wreaths.
THE ARMY

NAVY

MARINES

AIR FORCE

COAST GUARD

MERCHANT MARINES

POW~MIA
 Prisoner of War ~ Missing in Action
(The veteran who placed this wreath was a prisoner of war for three years during WWII.)

 CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

All wreaths in place, the guest speaker took the stage. 
His words painted a vision of a cemetery in Normandy and told stories of The Greatest Generation. 

A ceremonial volley, prayer, and taps before


the colors were retired.

May we all take the time during this holiday season to remember those who have lost loved ones.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

An Easter Lesson

I decided that this break I was going to stay home and spend the week doing things I have not done or haven't done in awhile. It all began Thursday night with Ballroom Dancing, which will continue on Monday and Thursday with lessons. Saturday, I bought a couple of new outfits. Today brought both something I hadn't done in awhile and something new. Today, I went to church which was pretty cool in itself. I went with someone I just met the day before. (I am sure that is no surprise to any of you who know me.) We made plans to meet up at church. It was different from any church I had been in before. The chairs were set up "in the round." There was no piano or organ to accompany our singing. People were in and out throughout the 90 minute service. No surprise, the place was packed. The service was your typical protestant service, minus the organ, of course. It had been awhile since my friend had been to church. Many in the congregation flocked to him at the end to gi...

Aging sucks.....or does it?

Upon first thought, watching a parent age sucks. Unnoticeable at first. A bit of a stoop, some creaking in the knees, whitening of the hair. The doctor’s visits begin, as do the pills One for high blood pressure, another to thin the blood, and a handful of vitamins to top it off. The signs are there, but it is easier to see him as he has always been. My father, a pillar of strength. Until my pillar was knocked off-kilter. A simple surgery and the mortality of my father looked me square in the eye when the drugs took hold of his brain. Amidst his fidgeting and confusion, I realized…AGING SUCKS! And then….enlightenment dawned upon me….AGING IS BEAUTIFUL Wrinkles tell of smiles while silver hair speaks a life of memories. Knees creaky after years of kneeling in prayer, offering up a lap, and climbing up the stairs for one more kiss goodnight. Almost forty-eight years of memories nestled in my heart. Memories of my father. Taking us to church each Sunday Building and fixing ...

WABDR: Section 1

Section 1  We end at the beginning  Does it feel like this trip will never end? Epic adventures tend to last a bit longer than just an average one. So….on with our tale.  We got our bikes all packed up and continued over White Pass. The first time we went over it, it was a cloudy day. Thus, the visibility of the mountains was not much. I was expecting the same on our return trip to Packwood. Therefore, it took my breath away when I saw the mountain off in the distance for the first time. The beauty was so overwhelming, I teared up.    I continued to watch the mountain until I could see it no more. Soon we were in Packwood. Back where we started. After a quick breakfast at the local coffee shop, we were on our way. I may have taken a few minutes to ride the big bike first… Not too long though, because someone was ready to get moving.  Jennifer had some friends that were camping at Walupt Lake, which is right on the trail for Sectio...