Â鶹´«Ã½

For the 13th consecutive year, the convoy participants stayed overnight, then came back together Friday morning at Post 278 for a hot breakfast before departing on the last leg of their long journey, crossing the Bay Bridge and completing their mission to arrive at Arlington early Saturday morning, Dec. 17, where thousands of volunteers arrived before noon to place Christmas wreaths the graves of veterans.

Wreaths Across America began many years ago with a young newspaper boy, named Morrill Worcester, who won a contest at age 12 in the Bangor Daily Â鶹´«Ã½. The prize was a trip to Washington, D.C. He was most impressed to visit Arlington National Cemetery, home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the graves of thousands of fallen heroes. That impression never left Morrill.

In 1992, his Christmas wreath business had a surplus of wreaths that had not sold that year. His recollection of Arlington led him to transport several hundred wreaths to the cemetery to place on the gravesites. That was the very quiet beginning of what was to become the national Wreaths Across America movement. As it continued each year, news started to grow of the event, and by 2005, Wreaths Across America gained major social media attention. It has now grown to all 50 U.S. states and more than 3,400 locations. This year, a record 2.7 million wreaths were sponsored and delivered around the nation. “Wreath Day� now happens the third Saturday of each December, where volunteers come to lay wreaths on the gravesites of all military veterans.

Makenzie Miller, of Centreville traveled to Arlington Saturday morning with her mom, Lori Stewart, grandparents, Doug and Ilene Slaughter of Covington, Georgia, who were visiting, and her fiancé, Noah Smith, to place wreaths on soldiers’ graves. It was Makenzie and Noah’s second consecutive year participating, her mother’s and grandparents’ first experience.

Makenzie said, “Noah and I decided last year we needed to give back to our community, especially volunteering our time whenever possible. I wanted to do that as my grandparents have always done that where they live, setting an example for me when I was growing up. My grandfather is a Navy veteran, and it meant a lot to have him and my grandmother with us this year at Arlington. We need to remember, our freedom really isn’t free. Honor those who gave it to us.�

In Queen Anne’s County, more than 100 people — with many children participating — turned out at Chesterfield Cemetery in Centreville, where American Legion Jeff Davis Post 18 hosted its annual Christmas wreath ceremony recognizing all veterans buried there. Post 18 Commander Joe Leilich and 1st Vice Commander Ken “Radar� Huddleston organized the program. A prayer was offered by veteran Andy Cowley, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Sons of American Legion Commander John White.

Leilich presented a brief address to those attending, saying, in part, “Today we show a united front of national unity all across the United States as we ‘Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach our children the value of freedom.’� He added quotes from two late presidents, first, Ronald Reagan, who said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,� and second, Abraham Lincoln, “From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that the cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ....�

Huddleston then read the names of local veterans to place a wreath in honor each branch of the Armed Forces, including one wreath for those Missing in Action. Following the ceremony, those in attendance were invited to come forward to receive a Christmas wreath to place on veteran graves within Chesterfield Cemetery. All of the veterans graves had been previously marked with a small American flag for easy identification.

At Post 278, Randolph was very pleased that the tradition continued of allowing school children to be escorted across the field that separates both Matapeake Middle and Matapeake Elementary from the Legion along Route 8, where each child was provided a small American flag, waving it and cheering as the convoy of tractor trailer trucks, police vehicles and motorcycles departed from the Legion parking lot headed toward the Bay Bridge. In more recent years, children attending private Â鶹´«Ã½, including Lighthouse Christian Academy, have attended also with their parents.

It was quite emotional to see the children’s excitement as they chanted “USA, USA� and then spontaneously began singing Christmas carols.

Randolph said, “It had been overcast this morning until the children came out. Then, the sun shined brightly! I think our community has its values right when they let the children know it’s important to honor our veterans.�