Thanking veterans across Berks, the nation
Ten-year-old Sophia Burkhart didn’t mind the rain as she walked through Bern Cemetery for 30 minutes Dec. 14. The Bernville Girl Scout and her friend, Kylie Smith, 8, had something important to do.
“We are here to thank people who served our country,” Sophia
said.
They were among nine girls from three Girl Scout troops who laid wreaths at Bern Cemetery at Bernville and Plum Creek roads as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.
Three dozen volunteers braved the chilly rain to lay 200 wreaths at Bern, one of three cemeteries where ceremonies were held in Berks.
Volunteers were given a paper
slip with a veteran’s name and a wreath. At each grave, they laid a wreath and said a few words to the veteran buried there.
“We are here today to remember and honor you. We thank you for your service to our country,” the girls read.
This was the first year that Bern Cemetery participated, said Chris Reed, president of the board of directors. About 50 people attended
a service at nearby Bern Church, which included remarks from Ken Lebron, director of the Berks County Office of Veterans Affairs, and color guard from Wilson High School’s Junior ROTC.
Reed, whose grandfather died in World War II, said it’s important to remember sacrifices of veterans, particularly during the holidays.
Other Wreaths Across America locations in Berks were Forest Hills Memorial Park in Exeter Township and Fairview Cemetery in Boyertown.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreathlaying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992.
The organization’s mission — Remember, Honor, Teach — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as nearly 2,000 veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all the states and beyond.
The effort this year encompasses 2.2 million wreaths and 3 million volunteers, said Amber Caron, spokeswoman for National Wreaths Across America.
At Forest Hills Memorial Park in Exeter Township Reading High School’s Junior ROTC presented the colors before state Rep. Mark Gillen and Rep. Barry Jozwiak spoke. Volunteers included a contingent of veterans as well as Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Community groups and businesses raised $11,250 to lay 725 wreaths, said coordinator Elisabeth Laskowski.
More than 200 people, including 50 members of the military, came to the cemetery to help lay the wreaths.
The events, though brief, took months of planning. For example, in Boyertown, Ray Kochey said a committee of eight people had been planning since September. The committee raised about $9,000.
About 60 volunteers came to place 829 wreaths on graves at Fairview Cemetery.
Participants included Boy Scout troops from the Boyertown and Oley communities. The 2nd Brigade Bike Club, a Vietnam veterans group distributed wreaths. The Salvation Army brought a mobile canteen to provide hot chocolate and coffee. Music was provided by the Boyertown Alumni Band. The Carl Spaatz Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol provided the color guard.
“Most people told us that they chose to participate at Fairview because they had relatives buried in the cemetery,” Kochey said. “Many had been past participants at other Wreaths Across America events such as at Fort Indiantown Gap. The Gablesville Athletic Association made a very generous donation of several hundred wreaths which allowed us to place a wreath on each veterans grave.”
The groups have also planned cleanup days and are seeking volunteers to help remove the wreaths. At Fairview, they’ve set aside Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. for Operation Clean Sweep to remove and dispose of the wreaths (Feb. 9 is the rain date.) Forest Hills has set March 7 at 10 a.m. as Wreath Clean Up Day.
“The Gablesville Athletic Association made a very generous donation of several hundred wreaths which allowed us to place a wreath on each veterans grave.” — Ray Kochey