Volunteers placed more than 143,000 wreaths on gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery here Dec. 14 as part of the 22nd annual “Wreaths Across America” event.
The wreaths were manufactured by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine, and came to the cemetery by truck over the week in advance of the event. Donors and the Worcester Wreath Co. paid for the wreaths.
Morrill Worcester, the company’s owner, said interest in the project has grown steadily, and that he feels now his participation has grown to something more
“About five years ago, things really started to take off,” he said. “I really think that it became our responsibility at that point to do what we do. Today I really think it’s our obligation to be here.”
Morrill’s wife, Karen, reminded event participants of the people and lives being commemorated during the event.
“These are not gravestones; these are lives,” she said. “These represent lives that were lost and laid down so we can be free.”Out of the backs of several tractor-trailer trucks, volunteers passed the wreaths — Maine balsam with a hand-tied red bow — to the thousands of civilians, service members, adults and children who would take them out to a single stone and place them there in advance of the holiday season.
“I said, ‘Let’s come down early and actually volunteer and put some wreaths on,’” said Bob Taylor of Redline, Pa. Taylor and 10 members of his family drove more than two hours to participate in the event.
“What really impressed me was how many served in multiple wars,” he said after reading inscriptions on some of the headstones. “You see individuals that served in three and four wars. It’s really incredible, the dedication and commitment that they showed for our country. It’s a profound sense of gratitude, to see how fortunate we are to live the life that we live, in part because of what these people have sacrificed.”
–>
