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(Continued from page 14)
across the sea of white marble tombstones.
“The enormity of it all hit me right then," Worcester
says. "It stuck with me, just how very, very lucky we
(Americans) are."
To get things started, he called a friend, who donated
a tractor-trailer to transport tlx- wreaths, aixl then got
tlx- OK from officials at the cemetery to adorn the graves
with the wreaths. With the help of a dozen friends,
Worcester donated 5,0(X) wreaths that were laid on
the lx-adstones during a six-hour periixl in December
1992. It was the beginning of what is now known as the
Arlington Wreath Project.
A growing effort
As word spread about Worcester's efforts, more and mon
volunteers arrived in Arlington each year to help. In 2006,
mon- than I ,(KX) volunteers completed the wreath-laying
efforts in less than an hair. But tlx- wreaths aren’t laid in
haste. Each volunteer takes time to read tlx name on the
stone. Some kneel and pray. Some talk, aixl many weep.
Volunteers always stand and turn to pay respect when a
horse-drawn funeral pnxession brings another fallen hero
home to rest. Tlx-y watch until rlx sound of liorse htxives
fades in tlx- distance before returning to their wreaths.
Jlk.lv' Gibbons of McGlean, Va., hies volunteered for tlx
last three years. Because her father, brother, husband aixl
son were all military nxn, she believes its only fitting. "Is
there anything more important hap|x-ning in Washington
(D.C.) today?" asks Gibbons, who appreciates the dedication
Worcester has to hoaxing deceased soldiers.
"And don’t bother sending Morrill money for the proj
ect," (iibbons adds, "you II only cost him money in postage
because he'll seal it right back. So if yai want to help, you
have to come exit and lxlp."
Each year a section of the 624-acre cemetery that doesn't
get many visitors is chosen to receive the wreatlis. Even
within the section, volunteer Hannah Groalin, 11, of
Skowlxgan, Maiix (pop 6,696), Irxiks tor someone special.
“I put my wreaths on unknown soldiers," says Hannah,
a secoal-year volunteer. “I think how lonely they must be
because no ax comes to visit and how sad their family
must be ax knowing whether they're alive or dead."
Hannah is part of teacher Larry Ross's fifth- and sixth
grade gifted classes at the Margaret Chase Smith School
in Skowhegan. Ross has been bringing 40 students with
him to help lay wreaths each year since 2003. But before
he seals them out, Ross hokls up a photograph of Mor
rill Worcester as a 12-year-okl |ia|x‘rboy aixl says to his
students, "Fair words. That's all it will take to be great.
ll Sinnat(Jiinlilv it Value ’y Ihi'Hrs/ j
Ug flpBS HOMI VtMC
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Fair words: Sit um: 6c time. See great things. Go out and
do great things."
Wreaths Across America
Worcester received so many e-mails from people across
the nation asking him to do something at national cem
eteries in their hometowns that last year his otganization
unveiled Wreaths Across America. During tlx Arlingtai
wreath laying ceremony, with lxlp fnxn the Civil Air
Patrol aral other civic-minded groups, special ceremonies
were hekl at 2.30 state and national cemeteries aral veterans
monuments across the camtry. At the Biloxi National
Cemetery in Mississippi, the ceremonies iixluded a px-ayer
•V K* Or 19
I ul f*
Students from Skowhegan, Maine, adorn soldiers’ graves
with holiday wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.
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and moment of silence, while at the Massachusetts National
Cemetery in Braime (pops. 1,443), volunteers carefully laid
1(H) wreaths on gravestones.
In Plxxnix, tlx Civil Air Patrol organized a ceremony at
tlx- National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. A bugler sig
naled tlx opxning of the ceremony by (slaying the national
anthem, followed by a moment of silence aral tlx- (slating of
five wreaths, each repsresenting a lsma ll of military service,
next to their respxctive flags.
Waytx- Ellis, the cemetery’s director, says that his deci
sion to |xirticipxite in tlx- Wreaths Across America pxoject
was an easy one. “It's a gtxxl |xtsgram,” Ellis says. “It Ixlpss
horasr air veterans, ami it brings |xiblic attentitxi to facili
ties like these.”
At the same time the Phoenix ceremony took
place, nearly 80 ju-ople gathered at the Kansas Vet
erans' Cemetery in WaKeeney ([sops. 1,924) to lay 60
wreaths on gravestones.
"About 40 families of buried veterans here were
present," says Heidi Goff, the cemetery's manager.
"When I learned of the project, I asked Christ the
King Catholic Church to help raise funds to buy
wreaths for every veteran laid to rest here. More money
than we actually needed was raised, so that money will
carry over for next year."
Goff says she was deeply moved watching family
members lay the wreaths on the veterans' graves. "It’s
such a beautiful, visual tribute," she says. "It brings our
veterans to the forefront."
And that's exactly who Worcester wants in the
spxxlight.
"I’m no txx special," Worcester says. “It just makes me
feel spxcial to be allowed to be part of something at Arling
ton. The soldiers resting there, our soldiers today—they
are the spxcial people. They are the heroes.”
Tracy Leinlterger-Leonan/i is a writer in Elktnn. Alt/.
Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to
learn more.