Christmas Honors again places more than 12,000 wreaths

 

story and photos by Joel Rafkin
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More than 12,000 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves at the Fort Smith National Cemetery on Saturday during a joint observation of the local Christmas Honors program and  National Wreaths Across America project.

Families and friends gathered at the cemetery beginning at 8 a.m. to decorate the graves of loved ones. The general public and volunteers began placing wreaths on the remainder of the graves starting at 9 a.m. All 12,100 graves had a wreath beside them within about 18 minutes said Philip Merry, coordinator of the Christmas Honors program.

Any remaining wreaths were used to decorate other features of the national cemetery and also were placed on the backside of tombstones in the instances where a spouse was interned alongside a veteran. Merry said more wreaths will be procured for next year to facilitate this new idea.

Volunteers at the event included Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops, Ramsey Junior High School students, Northside and Greenwood JROTC programs, the 188th Air National Guard, a veteran’s motorcycle group and many more individuals and organizations from around the region.

Golden Corral provided cold drinks and snacks to keep energy levels high and the Red Cross supplied hot chocolate and apple cider for warmth. Two booths were set up this year to raise funds for the cause. A group working in conjunction with the USO was taking donations to present $30 gift cards to military personnel returning from duty overseas. The Christmas Honors program was selling Christmas cards at $1 each (in lots of 20) featuring photos from last year’s event. Merry said 50-percent of the proceeds will fund the purchase of additional wreaths for next year’s event.

The crowds had dispersed by about 10 a.m. and reconvened by 11 a.m. for the second portion of the morning program — Wreaths Across America. The colors were presented by members of the 188th Air National Guard while Don Bailey performed the national anthem on saxophone. Two A-10 planes in formation flew over the cemetery from south to north.

Marvin Mendenhall of the American Legion addressed the crowd with a speech on the significant contributions veterans make to the country. Don Hutchings also spoke and shared a story of an encounter with a WWII veteran who he assisted with a roadside emergency, became friends with as a result of that encounter and months later, performed his funeral at the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

"I hope everyone in your audience will come by and just drive around and remember what these departed ones did for our country and then come see what their families and what community did to remember them — it’s a blessing," said Merry.

The wreaths will be on display until Jan. 9.

Link here for more about Christmas Honors and the effort to get the wreaths prepped and staged for Saturday’s event.