HONOR AND TEACH
The closing of the year will usher in what its organizers hope is the start of a new tradition in Butler.
At noon Dec. 14, Butler will take part in the National Wreaths Across America Day, when millions of Americans are reminded to remember the fallen, honor those that serve and teach the next generation about the value of freedom.
After two years of staging a ceremony in downtown's Diamond Park, the General Richard Butler Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution this year plans to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans buried in the North Side Cemetery, 1002 N. Main St. Ext.
“We'd been doing the ceremony for the past two years and then Chuck came along and wanted to do it here,” said Donna Croft, the vice regent and the veterans affairs and voluntary services representative of the local DAR chapter.
Chuck is Charles Veazey Jr. a Butler real estate agent, who was inspired to bring the wreath-laying event to Butler.
“I was at Wreaths Across America in Arlington (National Cemetery),” said Veazey. “And I thought, 'Why can't we do this in Butler?'”
Croft said, “He wanted to do it here. We contacted North Cemetery, and they said 'That would be fantastic.'''
North Side Cemetery caretaker Don Bolt said, “They had a bunch of people walk through and they did a count.
“They came and said they would like to do this and could we leave the flags up on the graves to make it easier to find them (veterans)?” said Bolt.
Speaking of the upcoming ceremony, Bolt said of North Side Cemetery, “We're the first one in Butler County.”
Croft said that, following the ceremony, that will include placing wreaths on stands to symbolize all branches of the armed services, as well as POW/MIAs, at the cemetery's chapel, they expect to place at least 982 wreaths on the graves of veterans.
They also expect to get a lot of help from local Scout troops and individuals.
“Just show up at noon. This is our first year of doing it,” said Croft.
The wreaths are made of real pine and cost $15 each, said Veazey.
Croft and Veazey credited several groups with helping to raise the funds to pay for the wreaths, including a Boy Scout troop, the DAR, a Cub Scout pack, a Girl Scout troop and a bowl-a-thon event earlier this year.“American Legion posts 778 and 117 were instrumental in getting us to our wreath goal,” said Croft.Although little known in Butler County, Wreaths Across America has been expanding wreath-laying ceremonies across the country since 1992.According to the national group, Wreaths Across America, each year, a new theme is chosen by the national organization to help local volunteers and supporters focus their messaging and outreach in their communities. This year, the theme is “Every. one plays a part.”Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year-old when an Arlington National Cemetery wreath-laying ceremony made an indelible impression on him.In 1992, Worcester Wreath found itself with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season.Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country's veterans. Arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.In 2007, Wreaths Across America became a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony.According to the national organization, in 2018, nearly 1.8 million veteran wreaths were placed on headstones at 1,640 participating cemeteries around the country, with each veteran's name said out loud.The organization's mission — Remember, Honor, Teach — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at hundreds of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states.Every year since 2008, according to the organization, Congress proclaims a Saturday in December as National Wreaths Across America Day with Dec. 14 chosen as the date this year.The inspiration for this year's theme was a recommendation made by 10-year-old Miles Worcester, the grandson of founders Morrill and Karen Worcester.Last May, while in Washington D.C., Miles saw a U.S. service member in uniform at the hotel where he was staying. Miles walked up to the gentleman, reached out to shake his hand and thanked him for his service.And his response was: “Thank you … everyone plays a part.” Miles went directly to his grandmother, Wreaths Across America Executive Director Karen Worcester, to tell her that he believed this statement would be the perfect theme.The millions of volunteers and supporters — from schoolchildren and educators, professional truck drivers, first responders, veterans, and Gold Star and Blue Star families, to corporations and other nonprofits — play a part in helping to plan and participate in local events and fundraising activities, sponsor and transport wreaths and raise awareness.This year, through the efforts of Veazey and Croft, that event is being brought to Butler.Croft said, “We hope to make this an annual event. We want to do this in every cemetery all across the county.”Veazey said the ceremony is a free event and open to the public.For more information about the local event, visit www.waabutler.com. To register to volunteer to lay wreaths at North Side Cemetery, email waabutlerpa@gmail.comTo sponsor a wreath for a veteran, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
