Wreaths of remembrance laid at historic church cemetery

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP – Inside the Historic Presbyterian Church Cemetery on Sycamore Street, 40 wreaths now mark the finaO rHsWing SOaFH Ior WhosH who served their nation in war.

ThH RHv. RiFhard .auIIPan, a PHPEHr oI WhH Historic Church Committee, read each veteran’s name aOoud EHIorH a gaWhHring oI aEouW 40 SHoSOH as voOunWHHrs and IaPiOy PHPEHrs Oaid wrHaWhs adornHd wiWh hand-WiHd rHd Eows aPong WhH sWarN rows oI hHadsWonHs SaWurday aIWHrnoon as SarW oI WhH naWionwidH WrHaWhs AFross APHriFa FaPSaign.

APong WhH naPHs was -aPHs SOaFN, a YardOHy oarsPan who hHOSHd row GHorgH WashingWon and his WrooSs aFross WhH DHOawarH RivHr on ChrisWPas nighW in 1776.

And WhHrH wHrH oWhHr naPHs as wHOO, inFOuding GHorgHs Logan, 0. David LawHOO and AnWhony TaWH, who IoughW in WhH crench and Indian War; Anthony Torbert, who sHrvHd during WhH War oI 1812; -osHSh HowHOO, -ohn and WiOOiaP .HiWh, -aPHs .HnnHdy, AErahaP and CornHOius SOaFN and 23 oWhHrs who IoOOowHd GHnHraO WashingWon inWo EaWWOH during WhH APHriFan RHvoOuWion; RudoOSh Van Horn, who sWood Ior WhH Union during WhH CiviO War; and WiOOiaP CaPSEHOO, CharOHs FuOWon, CharOHs GodIrHy, RoEHrW SOaFN, COarHnFH TiPPHrPan and -aPHs Wiggins who sHrvHd during WorOd War ,,.

ThH FHrHPony ParNHd WhH firsW WiPH WhH hisWoriF FhurFh FHPHWHry has WaNHn SarW in WrHaWhs AFross APHriFa, a FaPSaign EHgun Ey 0ainH EusinHssPan 0orriOO WorFHsWHr in 1992 Wo dHForaWH vHWHrans’ gravHs wiWh wrHaWhs aW ArOingWon NaWionaO CHPHWHry in WashingWon, D.C.

WorFHsWHr, WhH ownHr oI WorFHsWHr WrHaWh CoPSany in HarringWon, 0ainH, was a 12 yHar oOd SaSHr Eoy Ior WhH Bangor DaiOy NHws whHn hH won a WriS Wo WashingWon, D.C. His firsW WriS Wo WhH naWion’s FaSiWaO was onH hH wouOd nHvHr IorgHW, and ArOingWon NaWionaO CHPHWHry PadH an HsSHFiaOOy indHOiEOH iPSrHssion on hiP. ThH HxSHriHnFH IoOOowHd hiP WhroughouW his OiIH and suFFHssIuO FarHHr in EusinHss, rHPinding hiP WhaW his good IorWunH was duH, in OargH SarW, Wo WhH vaOuHs oI WhH naWion and WhH vHWHrans who PadH WhH uOWiPaWH saFrifiFH Ior WhHir FounWry.

,n 1992, WorFHsWHr WrHaWh Iound WhHPsHOvHs wiWh a surSOus oI wrHaWhs nHaring WhH Hnd oI WhH hoOiday sHason. RHPHPEHring his Eoyhood HxSHriHnFH aW ArOingWon, WorFHsWHr PadH arrangHPHnWs Ior WhH wrHaWhs Wo EH SOaFHd aW ArOingWon in onH oI WhH oOdHr sHFWions oI WhH FHPHWHry, a sHFWion whiFh had EHHn rHFHiving IHwHr visiWors wiWh HaFh Sassing yHar.

ThH annuaO WriEuWH wHnW on TuiHWOy Ior sHvHraO yHars, unWiO 2005, whHn a ShoWo oI WhH sWonHs aW ArOingWon, adornHd wiWh wrHaWhs and FovHrHd in snow, FirFuOaWHd around WhH inWHrnHW. SuddHnOy, WhH SrojHFW rHFHivHd naWionaO aWWHnWion. Thousands oI rHTuHsWs SourHd in IroP aOO ovHr WhH FounWry IroP SHoSOH wanWing Wo hHOS wiWh ArOingWon, Wo HPuOaWH WhH ArOingWon SrojHFW aW WhHir NaWionaO and SWaWH FHPHWHriHs, or Wo siPSOy sharH WhHir sWoriHs and WhanN WorFHsWHr Ior honoring WhH naWion’s hHroHs.