Local Cub Scouts to Remember Veterans During the Holidays

• Contributed to Patch by Barry Dresdner

On Saturday, Dec. 15 people from all across the nation will gather to honor veterans during the holiday season as part of the annual Wreaths Across America Day.

Cub Scout Pack 157 of Herndon United Methodist Church has volunteered to assist in laying the wreaths again this year at Arlington National Cemetery after the Dec. 15 Remembrance Ceremony starting at noon. The pack has been laying wreaths on the graves of our fallen heroes for the past five years.

Seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served, honor their sacrifices, and teach our younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms.

Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at over 750 participating locations all across the country.

Thousands of wreaths are slated for delivery to Arlington National Cemetery but sponsorships are still available until Dec. 11. Sponsorships received after that date will be applied to 2013 events.

It is projected that over 400,000 wreaths will be placed nationwide, by over 150,000 volunteers as part of the Wreaths Across America mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach in 2012.

The Wreaths Across America story began more than 20 years ago when the Worcester Wreath Company from Harrington, Maine initiated a tradition of donating and placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. Recognition of the service and sacrifice of our veterans, and their families, is especially poignant during the traditional holiday season.

Worcester Wreath Company continues to be a major supporter of the project, donating more than 30,000 wreaths in 2011. Individuals, businesses and groups from communities nationwide will sponsor more than 400,000 wreaths. Wreaths will be placed in all 50 states from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii, and at 24 national cemeteries on foreign soil.

Those who would like to sponsor a wreath, or would like more information about Pack 157 Cub Scout events planned for Herndon, can contact Barry Dresdner at 301-332-3690. Wreaths can be sponsored online by clicking this link to Cub Scout Pack 157's WAA page. 

Wreaths Across America is a national non-profit organization that has grown quickly to encompass more than 750 participating locations and 150,000+ volunteers around the Country.

The Wreaths Across America's mission is to Remember, Honor, and Teach. Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve including their families who sacrifice, and Teach our children the cost of the freedoms we enjoy each day. It is our shared belief that:

'The nation which forgets its defenders will soon be forgotten.' - Calvin Coolidge

WAA pursues its mission with nation-wide wreath-laying events amid the holiday season, and year-round educational outreach inviting all Americans to appreciate our freedoms and the cost at which they are delivered.

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