“2,000 wreaths were placed on the graves of veterans in five communities across the county”
A COLUMN By Kathryn Ross, photo from Wreaths Across America
This past Saturday, five communities in Allegany County participated in the annual Wreaths Across America Project.
In 1992, Worcester Wreath company found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was 12 when he saw Arlington National Cemetery and it made an impression on him. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (ret), arrangements were made for the surplus wreaths to be placed in Arlington. Volunteers from the local American Legion and VFW Posts decorated each wreath with hand-tied, red bows. Members of the Maine State Society of Washington D.C., helped to organize the wreath-laying, which included a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tradition continued over the next decade.
In 2007, the Worcester family formed Wreaths Across America, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, to continue and expand its effort, and support others around the country who wanted to do the same. Just one year later, over 300 locations held wreath-laying ceremonies in every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries. Over 100,000 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves. Over 60,000 volunteers participated. And that year, December 13, 2008, was unanimously voted by the United States Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day.”
In 2022, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers placed more than 2.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths on headstones of our nation’s service members at 3,702 participating locations.
That same year the members of the Catharine Schuyler Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution initiated a Wreaths Across America program in Cuba. The following year similar programs grew in Belmont, Belfast, Rushford and Whitesville. In Whitesville members of the Wellsville American Legion Post 702 participated with a bugler, color guard and rifle squad,
This past Saturday, nearly 2,000 wreaths were placed on the graves of veterans in five communities across the county – Belfast, Belmont, Cuba, Rushford and Whitesville. The graves of all veterans from the Revolutionary War to the War in Afghanistan received a wreath. Each wreath cost $17. Throughout the year the participating communities held fund raisers and collected donations and sponsorships. The DAR contributes $100 to each community.
Notice anything missing from the list? Not only is the only town to have a Medal of Honor recipient buried within its borders missing, but so is the largest community in the County missing.
To me this is abhorrent. I have heard one excuse – there are too many veterans buried in Wellsville to find all their graves.
Well, I have to take issue. Every year, flags are placed on veteran’s graves in Woodlawn Cemetery and elsewhere.
Seems to me that would be a good start. And I’m sure a look through the Cemetery files would yield a number of veteran’s names from other wars and conflicts. Now granted, it might not be everyone, but is that a good enough reason to not do anyone?
This is not something that has to be done by an official of the town or village boards or even the Legion or the VFW. It can be done by and should be done by a coordinator and a co-coordinator. That is what is recommended and that is what has been done in other towns. And you can start with one cemetery and work your up to other cemeteries in the town. The DAR is also available to lend some financial support and organizational advice.
The tricky part is getting the $17 sponsorships and fundraising for the number of wreaths that are required.
Fund raising is something this town is good at. It just gives us another reason to hold a barbecue, dinner, 50/50, basket auction, lawnmower race, concert or street dance. Not to mention we can always put the touch on local clubs and organizations that have money to give away.
Now for those of you who are thinking, and I know there are those out there thinking, “Okay Kathryn if you think honoring our town’s veterans by putting a wreath on their grave at Christmas time and the biggest community in the county showing its patriotism and doing what towns the size of Cuba, Belfast and Whitesville can do, is such a great idea, then you go right ahead and do it.
Well, if I could, I would, but my health, at this time won’t allow me to spearhead something like this. I will happily help and do what I can, but there needs to be a leader.
I’m sure someone will step up to the task, because it would be a shame if Wellsville can’t do what smaller towns can do and do it better.
Kathryn Ross is a Wellsville based writer and reporter. She can be reached anytime at kathr_2002@yahoo.com
