Wreaths Across America comes to Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK — Thanks to the efforts of Bubba and Angela Beason of Beebe, along with many sponsors across the state, including the Arkansas State Society Daughters of the American Revolution, thousands of live wreaths were laid Dec. 18 on the graves of veterans buried in numerous cemeteries across the state.
Prior to the wreath-placement ceremony, ASDAR hosted the National Wreaths Across America State House Ceremony on Dec. 13 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the state Capitol grounds in Little Rock. Retired Army Col. Nate Todd of Pine Bluff, state cabinet secretary, Arkansas Department of Veteran Affairs, and retired Army Brig. Gen. LeAnne Burch of Monticello were the guest speakers. Burch, a former state legislator, is a member of ASDAR.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization best known for placing wreaths on the headstones of veterans buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
According to the WAA website, wreathsacrossamerica.org, “The mission is to remember our fallen veterans, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom by placing a live balsam bouquet wreath on the tombstone of every veteran in cemeteries.”
Every December this mission is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at the Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 2,500 additional locations in all 50 U.S states, at sea and abroad. This year, more than 2.5 million wreaths will be sponsored at 3,000 participating locations nationwide, including several in Arkansas.
Local DAR chapters in the Three Rivers Edition’s readership area participating in the WAA project include the Polly Conway Chapter of Beebe, the newest DAR chapter in Arkansas; the Major Jacob Gray Chapter of Jacksonville; and the Frederick Van Patten Chapter of Searcy. The Polly Conway Chapter sponsored 65 wreaths that were placed on veterans’ graves at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens in Beebe. The Major Jacob Gray Chapter sponsored 63 wreaths that were placed on graves at the Little Rock National Cemetery. The Frederick Van Patten Chapter sponsored 10 wreaths that were placed at the Little Rock National Cemetery.
Jayne Spears of Beebe coordinated the WAA effort in Beebe.
“As a new DAR chapter, we were excited to join the WAA program,” she said. “The funeral home we selected wasn’t sure how many veterans were buried [at the Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens]. We set our goal at 45 wreaths. We ended up with 53 from our chapter and another 12 from the public, making a total of 65. We are thrilled.”
Junelle Mongno of Cabot, who served as ASDAR state regent from 2018-2020, coordinated the WAA project for the Major Jacob Gray Chapter.
“I came back from the ASDAR Board of Management meeting in August and presented the WAA
information to our chapter,” said Mongno, who served in the Air Force for six years. “Members voted to participate in the project and chose the Little Rock National Cemetery as our location to sponsor.
“We were able to get the word out to the public at our annual Veterans Day presentation at the Jacksonville Military Museum of History and were able to get more donations to sponsor the wreaths.”
Deena Reynolds, treasurer of the Frederick Van Patten Chapter, said her chapter also chose to sponsor wreaths at the Little Rock National Cemetery.
“We were able to do that easily through the WAA website,” she said.
JoyLynn Edwards, co-coordinator of the WAA project at the Frederick Van Patten Chapter, said one member has sponsored wreaths at the national cemetery for several years.
“Her husband is buried there,” Edwards said.
Angela Beason said more than 16,500 live wreaths were placed at the Little Rock National Cemetery; there are 22,000 graves at the cemetery.
“That’s such an improvement from where we started,” Angela said. “We started this five years ago … with 50 wreaths sponsored for the Little Rock National Cemetery in 2016.
“I had never even heard of Wreaths Across America until 2009, when we were stationed in New Jersey,” she said. “I moved to Arkansas with the kids in 2010 while Bubba was still stationed in Afghanistan. He followed us in 2011. (Bubba retired from the Air Force after 25 years of service, including 16 deployments.)
“I was at a Wreaths Across America ceremony in North Little Rock at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in 2014,” Angela said. “There were approximately 180 wreaths to be placed. I was sitting next to a Gold Star Mother, who said, ‘I hope there will be a wreath for my son’s grave.’”
Angela said she relayed this story to her husband, and after his retirement from the Little Rock Air Force Base, they began their mission to see that a live wreath is placed on every veteran’s grave in Arkansas.
“We knew we had to do more,” she said.
“We supported North Little Rock in 2015 and 2016, and they had full coverage,” Angela said. “We didn’t host the ceremony; we just gathered sponsors.
“In 2016, WAA reached out because there wasn’t a coordinator for Little Rock,” she said. “That year, there were 50 sponsored wreaths. We took on the role of location coordinator at Little Rock. North Little Rock later decided to purchase artificial wreaths, so we put all of our efforts into Little Rock, seeing donations grow to what they are today.”
The Beasons are also active in the Arkansas Run for the Fallen and Gold Star Mothers organizations.
Gretchen Magee of Bella Vista, state regent, ASDAR, said the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a corporate sponsor of Wreaths Across America this year, having donated more than $100,000 to support its mission. Magee presided over the Dec. 13 ceremony at the state Capitol.
Denise Doring Van Buren, president, NSDAR, said, “As Daughters, we carry forward a heartfelt commitment to the men and women who wore the uniform of our nation. Honoring them through the remembrance of a memorial wreath each December is one small way that we can evidence that we remember, that we appreciate and that we, as patriotic Americans, are grateful for their service.”
Kathy Balkman of Little Rock, co-chairman of the DAR Service for Veterans committee, said local chapters will also sponsor the WAA Mobile Education Exhibit in spring 2022.
She said the mobile unit will be at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History on April 17 and at the Beebe School District Administration Building on April 18. The mobile unit will also make a stop in Conway on April 19 under the sponsorship of the Cadron Post Chapter, which sponsored 62 wreaths for the Little Rock National Cemetery.
For more information on Arkansas State Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s participation in Wreaths Across America, contact Kathy Balkman at skbalkman@icloud.com.