June 18th, Monday – Wreaths Across America

So, today began early, like 5 am, Marti had to go out in the rain and lots of wind.  Nothing unexpected since this system was predicted last night.    A perfect day to just stay under the covers and keep warm and ignore what was going on outside.  That basically is what we did.  Yes, we did eventually got up but that was only because we both got a bit hungry!

Time now to get caught up on what we’ve been doing the last several days.  So  let me share with you our trip to Wreaths Across America in Columbia Falls, Maine.

This is a picture of the entrance hall as you first walk in.  The picture at the end of the hall is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Our guide through the museum was Nancy pictured here with Barbara beside an

example of a Veteran Remembrance Tree. (more about this later)

Here is what we learned and saw during our time at the museum.  Wreaths Across American began with Morill Worcester who as a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News won a trip to Washington, DC.  His first trip to the nation’s capital was one he would never forget.  More to the point his visit to Arlington National Cemetery

made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career as the owner of Worcester Wreath Company.  He never forgot that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington Cemetary, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, 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.  The annual tribute went on quietly for several years

until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, to emulate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries, or to simply share their stories and thank Morrill Worcester for honoring our nation’s heroes.

The annual trip to Arlington and the groups of volunteers eager to participate in Worcester’s simple wreath-laying event grew each year until it became clear the desire to remember and honor our country’s fallen heroes was bigger than Arlington, and bigger than this one company.

In 2007, the Worcester family, along with veterans, and other groups and individuals who had helped with their annual veteran’s wreath ceremony in Arlington, formed Wreaths Across America (WAA), a non-profit 501-(c)(3) organization, to continue and expand this effort, and support other groups around the country who wanted to do the same.

In 2014, WAA and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 fundraising groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands. The organization’s goal of covering Arlington National Cemetery was met in 2014 with the placement of 226,525 wreaths.  The wreath-laying continues today held annually on the second Saturday of December.

This is a picture of WAA entering Washington, DC last year.  The convoy from Maine to

National Cemetery has become known as the world’s largest veterans’ parade, stopping at schools, monuments, veterans’ homes and communities all along the way to remind people how important it is to remember, honor and teach.

Last year when the trucks entered Washington DC (pictured above) there were 70,000 volunteers waiting to help place the wreaths on the graves in Arlington Cemetery.

This year WAA has received 2 million orders for wreaths to be placed on veterans graves.

Going back now to the Veterans Remembrance Tree  it is described in this way.

We created the Veteran Remembrance Tree Program because we wanted to find a way to recognize veterans and their families in a more permanent way, explains Karen Worcester, Executive Director of WAA “This endless forest is a truly visual representation of our unwavering commitment to our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach and to recognize our veterans and families this year and for many years to come.”

Two other projects still in the works are a chapel that can be used for funeral services

for veterans.  And in addition, there are plans to build a Flag Pole of Freedom which will be a 1320 foot tall flag pole, the tallest ever built.

The flag pole will eventually house a museum at the base and two observation decks, one at 100 feet and the second at the top.  The flag to be used will be an acre in size and will be designed to be self-furling when the winds reach a certain speed.

At the museum there is also a separate display regarding the Vietnam War.

Some of the statistics of that war are absolutely staggering.

We came away from the museum having learned a lot and also deeply impressed by what WAA does each year.  Despite the ongoing controversy that surrounds the connection between WAA and the Worchester Wreath Company, I believe in the integrity of WAA and what they are doing and hope to be able to volunteer this December when the wreaths are placed at the Florida National Cemetery. 

OK, tonight being the last night we will be in Maine and able to get a fresh lobster dinner

I did just that.  I believe I finally have my fill of lobster and fish, at least for the foreseeable future!  But not for too long, oh no, no, no!

The rain continues to fall, the wind is blowing 15 to 20 mph right on the front, gusting even higher at times.  We are, however, snug as a bug in a rug.  Tomorrow promises to be a fine day for travel.  Time now to begin packing up and putting things in order for the road.  We bid you, therefore, good night.  In closing, a thought for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before