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| Original Photo of Arlington adorned with wreaths |
Over 50 families were honored with a formal escort and wreath laying on the final resting place for veterans at Port Hudson National Cemetery following the official ceremony on Saturday December 15, 2013.
The event, part of Wreaths Across America, takes place simultaneously at Arlington National Cemetery and over 800 other location across the country, around the world and at sea. Wreaths Across America is a Non-profit program that has its roots in 1992 when wreath maker Morrill Worcester of Maine found himself with a surplus of fresh wreaths at the holidays and with the assistance of local Civil Air Patrol, arranged to lay them on grave sites at Arlington. The now famous picture of the beautiful green wreaths on the backdrop of the snow covered markers was so awe inspiring that Worcester was urged to repeat the following years. As the event grew and more National Cemeteries came on board, WalMart and other trucking companies joined to help transport the wreaths nationwide.
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| Civil Air Patrol, Young Marines and Navy Sea Cadets stand ready to present wreaths. PHOTO PROVIDED BY: C/Major Mary Palisi |
This year, much through the efforts of Lt Col Phil Collins, CAP (USAF Retired), Louisiana Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, Port Hudson received just shy of 2300 wreaths, "Not quiet what I had hoped," commented Collins in a report to his squadron Monday night, "but still very good and better than last year." Collins attributed the success to individuals and to corporations who place support of Wreaths Across America in their annual budget.
"Dow was our largest contributor of wreaths this year." Collins reported. He also explained that Dow had provided van loads of retirees on Friday to assist with laying the majority of the wreaths then another van load of employees attended the ceremony on Saturday and they have assured him that they will continue to help grow the program.
The mission of Wreath Across America is simple: To remember those who served, To Honor them and their families and the teach our youth the value of their freedoms, and the importance of honoring those who sacrificed so much to protect those freedoms. Having been involved since it's the beginning, Civil Air Patrol encourages it's members and particularly cadets to take part in these missions.
For the past couple of years, the Civil Air Patrol cadets have teamed up with the Navy Sea Cadets to provide honorary escorts to families at Port Hudson. This year they were joined by the local Young Marines. "We hope to continue to increase participation by youth. It means a lot to veterans and their families to know that the next generation will continue to remember," commented Lydia Pike, Capt. CAP and Asst. Director for Cadet Programs, Louisiana Wing.
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| Nearly 40 cadets plus their Adult leaders gather after the wreath laying ceremony. |
