Wreaths Across America
Posted by Terry Newton
on Dec 22, 2014
Special Story
From: Greenwood Cemetery <info@gwood.us>
Date: December 22, 2014 at 9:43:36 AM EST
Subject: Wreaths Across America
On December 13 we held our 2014 Wreaths Across America event. The entire project was a wonderful success thanks to the generosity of people across our nation. Sufficient funds were raised to place a wreath on every veteran’s grave and enough people donated their time to place 1,300+ wreaths in a little less than an hour.
Thank you to one and all.
Karl Crawford, Superintendent
Greenwood Cemetery
Petoskey, Michigan
On a balmy 38 degree Northern Michigan day, approximately 125 people gathered to honor 1,384 deceased veterans and the many veterans in attendance as well.
Pastor Jon Jenkins of Grace Baptist Church in Gaylord gave an inspirational talk about the significance of the wreath (the circle, the greenery and the red bow). A woman’s trio from the same church sang the National Anthem to begin the ceremony and finished with a beautiful rendition of Silent Night.
Local veterans placed wreaths honoring each branch of service, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine, Merchant Marines and POW/MIAs. In the photo above, Dudley Marvin, a WW-II veteran and his son, Dudley Marvin, a Vietnam veteran place the wreath in honor of the U.S. Marine Corp.
Many of the attendees went out into the Cemetery to attach the wreaths to the post in place at each grave – and in less than one hour all of the wreaths were placed.
Last year we placed 740 wreaths. This year the community donated sufficient funds to supply a wreath for every veteran at Greenwood. Only two days before the placing of the wreaths we were contacted by a group placing wreaths in three Bay Township cemeteries. This was their first year and they did not receive their wreaths from the Wreaths Across America organization. We felt as we had no choice but to give them 48 wreaths so they could hold their service. The replacement wreaths have already been received from Wreaths Across America and are in their appropriate place in Greenwood.
There are 49 veterans at our Scattering Garden and nearby columbarium’s. If your loved one was a veteran and was scattered somewhere other than Greenwood, you can still place their name on one of our Scattering Garden tablets and they can be honored with a wreath each year. We believe that everyone who offered to give their life for their country should have a flag in the summer and a wreath in the winter to honor their life and their service.
Thank you to each one who gave or who came to support and honor our veterans. It is a privilege to be a part of this nationwide endeavor.