Wreaths Across America

[Juice]

So most CAP squadrons participated in the Wreaths Across America today. Let's share what our experiences were.  What did you do well and what would you change?  Our squadron hosts our event and the hostess event of hot chocolate, coffee, and donuts is always appreciated. We have a guest speaker, a 21 gun salute, and this year added a bag pipper and a signer.   We have also engaged the public in assisting with the wreath laying. Everyone seemed to enjoy the event more this year.  Things we would change would be a sound system so you could hear the speeches and singing better and add more seating and additional programs.  So what is the event you participate in like?

[almostspaatz]

Besides the ceremonial laying and posting/retrieval of colors we had a guest speaker (local state rep) also taps (with an actual bugle, no cheating here  ) Bagpiper, 21 Gun Salute. This was the biggest and most well attended event yet for us! We wound up with a surplus of wreaths and had to send them to another squadron after we filled ALL KIA and Veteran grave sites. Next year I would like to find a representative for the ceremonial wreath laying from the Merchant Marines and Coast Guard (hard to find in Ohio...) We just had veterans from other branches fill those slots. People do really enjoy getting to take part in the wreath laying all the way from the crusty veteran to the adorable little 6 year old that layed wreaths (all by her self, I might add :clap:) One of my favorite events of the year!

[SARDOC]

Besides the ceremonial laying and posting/retrieval of colors we had a guest speaker (local state rep) also taps (with an actual bugle, no cheating here  ) Bagpiper, 21 Gun Salute. This was the biggest and most well attended event yet for us! We wound up with a surplus of wreaths and had to send them to another squadron after we filled ALL KIA and Veteran grave sites. Next year I would like to find a representative for the ceremonial wreath laying from the Merchant Marines and Coast Guard (hard to find in Ohio...) We just had veterans from other branches fill those slots. People do really enjoy getting to take part in the wreath laying all the way from the crusty veteran to the adorable little 6 year old that layed wreaths (all by her self, I might add :clap:) One of my favorite events of the year!

That sounds like you guys had a great event.  I'm glad to hear this

[Capt Thompson]

We went to four different memorials around town, from a War of 1812 battlefield, to various memorial parks, and then finally ended at Veterans Park in Monroe.

We had a local VFW post bring a bugler and an honor guard for the 21 gun salute, he had the Mayor and a State Rep speak, the benediction was given by the pastor of the Church across the street from the park. Two of our Seniors also spoke, and we invited a local division of Sea Cadets to take part, and they supplied a Color Guard and had close to 40 Cadets.

The coolest part, Lake Erie Transport donated two buses, including one that is brand new, and they had it wrapped in American Flag decals just for the event. The day before, the put a Christmas tree and lights in it, and filled it with presents and drove it around town handing them out.

All in all a great experience.

Cadets of the Monroe Composite Squadron, along with the Wolverine Division, US Naval Sea Cadets:

[Brit_in_CAP]

Much smaller event but just as meaningful.

Our cemetery is quite small physically and has some 900 plots; it's been closed for new burials for some years.

We were, at one time, the *only* organization, plus a few vets, who supported this and I vividly recall 2011 when it was me, the CC, three cadets and less than 10 veterans. 

Now, we have easily 200 people drawn from CAP, BSA, various Veteran groups including the Patriot Guard, a number of civic organizations and "unaffiliated" members of the public.

No hostess event...maybe next year!

One of the cadets played Taps - very nice indeed - and the wreaths were laid by Veterans and Guard personnel; where we were missing a couple of representatives, the BSA stepped in, which was great as the CAP cadets were busy with may of the other tasks.

I led the event this year.  As short notice, there was no chaplain or anyone else who felt comfortable speaking to this without a sound system...

Check my username and you'll see why I was a little reticent.  

In the end, it was a very family-oriented event in which everyone, young and old, felt involved.  The weather was fantastic and the cemetery looked great once we were finished.

The VFW and Vietnam Vets thanked us for our work, and me for leading; that was, I have to say, an immense privilege and not something I take lightly.  I've led Remembrance Day at my church in the UK, and participated as both an ATC Cadet and serving RAF Officer but Saturday was something very special.

All in all, one of my personal favorite days in the year.

[winnipegbarley]

The event at Arlington National Cemetery went very well. Wreaths were distributed quickly, everyone was friendly and easy to work with, and we even finished early. Having an opportunity to honor the fallen in a way that meant so much to their families was humbling.

Thanks to everyone that participated! I hope I can help out again next year.

[Slim]

Just wrapped up my ninth year as one of the location coordinators for Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI.

In the nine years we've been doing  this (essentially since it started), we've seen just about every weather condition Ma Nature could throw at us.  Blizzards, single digit temps, 25 MPH winds).  Last year, we were 40 and overcast, and drew close to 3000 people and just shy of 12000 wreaths.  This year, temps were pushing 60 with mostly cloudy skies, 12,663 wreaths, and if we would have had sufficient parking, we could have easily doubled the 5,000 people who showed up.  At one point, the commander of the local State Police post called and told us we had about a nine mile backup on every road leading to the cemetery.  He wasn't really happy (and note made to involve them in our planning next year).

Highlights:  Thanksgiving week, we only had 5900 wreaths; between then and last week, we received 1100 donations for our cemetery.  Lots of thank yous, saw lots of familiar faces from those who come out to volunteer every year, along with lots of new faces.  We had those wreaths unloaded from four trucks and placed in about 45 minutes.  The formal ceremony was amazing.  We arranged to have the county sheriff (head of the second largest law enforcement agency in the state) as our master of ceremonies, the keynote speakers were a popular Detroit meteorologist and Air Force veteran, as well as an Army Lieutenant Colonel and former state representative that was a cadet the same time I was.  My (soon to be former) cadet commander sang the National Anthem.  Wherever we could, we arranged to have veterans and currently serving members place the service wreaths.  One of our standouts is that our bugler knows the anthems of all of the services-even the Merchant Marine-and plays them as each wreath is laid.  A rifle salute, Taps, and two bagpipers playing Amazing Grace (gets me every darn time).

Lowlights:  Overall, the biggest lowlight this year seemed to be people being people.  No matter what you tell them, they're going to do whatever they want.  We tell them it's not a race to see who can lay the most wreaths, supervise your kids and remind them that this isn't a playground, don't prop wreaths up on the columbarium walls because the sap and coloration leach out and ruin the granite.  Probably the biggest bone of contention this year was that the VA and National Cemetery Administration sent down a guideline that wreaths not be placed on Jewish graves.  I-and a lot of others-don't agree with it, but it's their cemetery and their rules.  My second biggest disappointment was finding out that people were taking (essentially stealing) wreaths; they'd carry them out to their cars and take them somewhere else.  The biggest disappointment of the day was placing a wreath on the grave of one of my old cadets who was an ANG SF staff sergeant and reserve police officer in his community.  He was killed two years ago while driving home from work at Selfridge so he could go to work at the police dept.  Yeah, that one still sucks.

The biggest lesson we took from this year is that our event is getting too big for three of us to try and manage.  So, plans are in the works to form a committee of interested parties (CAP, Patriot Guard riders, the cemetery advisory board, and veterans organizations) to help us out.  Parking and traffic have been a problem the last two years, but I don't know that there's anything we can do about it.  The cemetery knows that the grass fields they use for event parking aren't sufficient, and all of the roads leading into the cemetery are two lane country roads.  It's a public facility, so we can't tell people not to come, and we can't limit the number of volunteers by having a sign-up or anything. 

All in all, a very good day.  But if you asked me if I'm glad it's over, you'd get a resounding YES!