A wreath for every vets’ grave sought
Christmas decoration plans set at four cemeteries in state, help needed at fifth
Organizers are seeking volunteers to ensure that every grave in Arkansas’ veterans cemeteries receives a wreath for the holidays.
In conjunction with the National Wreaths Across America Day, all five Arkansas veterans cemeteries — in North Little Rock, Little Rock, Birdeye, Fort Smith and Fayetteville — will host wreath-laying ceremonies Saturday morning.
While four of the five cemeteries are certain to have enough wreaths to go around, it remains in question whether every grave at Little Rock National Cemetery will be covered, said Sara Elton, chief of operation for the continental district of the National Cemetery Administration.
The organization hopes that by the time Saturday’s ceremony arrives, enough volunteers will have furnished wreaths to decorate every grave. People can take wreaths with them to the ceremony.
Thanks to several benefactors and the efforts of the graveyard’s beautification foundation, this Christmas season will be the second that every grave at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at North Little Rock has a wreath laid against it.
In years prior to 2016, the high cost of thousands of wreaths prevented the foundation from obtaining decorations for every burial site, said Cynde Maddox, the Wreaths of Honor event coordinator for the foundation.
“No veteran should be forgotten,” Maddox said. The beautification foundation this year, with the help of donations, secured enough artificial wreaths to last several years.
Wreath-layings, spearhead-
ed by the national nonprofit Wreaths Across America, have become a holiday tradition at veterans cemeteries across the U.S. and even some aircraft carriers and other U.S. military facilities abroad.
The tradition can be traced to Arlington National Cemetery where solemn wreath-layings at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier mark national days of observance like Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
At the wreath-layings at the veterans cemeteries in Fort Smith, Birdeye and North Little Rock, family members and friends will have the opportunity to place wreaths on their loved ones’ graves before the ceremony.
Volunteers will take over afterward to adorn the graves that remain bare.
Maddox said the volunteer opportunity is a wonderful chance for children.
“It makes them appreciate their service, but it also instills a spirit of community service,” she said.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to lay wreaths Saturday can attend one of the following ceremonies:
Little Rock National Cemetery, with an 11 a.m. public ceremony.
Fort Smith National Ceremony, with family time from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and a public ceremony at 11 a.m.
Fayetteville National Ceremony, with a 10 a.m. public ceremony.
Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at North Little Rock, with family time at 10 a.m. and a public ceremony at 11 a.m.
Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at Birdeye, with a Wynne High School Marine Corps JROTC performance at 10:45 a.m. and a public ceremony at 11 a.m.