Last Saturday I helped with the Wreaths Across America program at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery here in Bismarck (see photos here).
It was a cold day (though not nearly as cold as last year’s event, I’ve been told), but by the time we were done later in the afternoon, it was worth it. My glove warmers still had some heat, and working with fellow Civil Air Patrol members and cadets as well as seeing the people laying the wreaths on the graves, made it completely worth it.
After most of the public had left, we all systematically went through the cemetery and made certain that the graves in which someone had specifically paid for a wreath to be on were covered. There were also many wreaths that people had bought without specifying a grave. We had a total of about 2700 wreaths. This wasn’t enough for every headstone, but after making certain the specified graves had wreaths, we then arranged the remaining wreaths in a way that made the cemetery look full and honored.
Imagine, then, my dismay to see people back out in the cemetery moving and rearranging the wreaths as we were all leaving. I’m not sure why the women I saw doing this thought this was acceptable. Perhaps they thought they were helping things look more even, but it was inevitable that they were removing wreaths from graves that had been sponsored.
I suppose it didn’t occur to some that there weren’t enough wreaths for all graves; the goal is, of course, to get more sponsors each year so that this will eventually happen. However, until that happens we have to make certain that the people who specifically sponsored a wreath for a family member have one (which is why we made several passes through the cemetery with lists to check and double check). It is disheartening to later be contacted by sponsors who went to the cemetery and found no wreath where there should have been one because people have been moving the wreaths around to other graves. I don’t blame them for being upset with the Civil Air Patrol; it is our job to make sure the wreaths are on the proper grave.
Perhaps those moving the wreaths thought their family member ought to have a wreath, what with all of the publicity the ceremony garnered. Maybe they thought no one would notice. Maybe they didn’t care. Even though all the veterans deserve one, we just didn’t have enough and the wreaths should have been left as they were. If people did not purchase a wreath specifically for their loved one’s grave, then there is no guarantee that there would be a wreath on it. No one should be moving any wreaths.
Tomorrow some of us will have to go back to the cemetery and re-check the entire arrangement again, against lists, to make sure that wreaths are where they should be and have not been moved. That’s a large cemetery and this morning when I walked to work, it was -18 degrees.
I really hope people stop moving the wreaths.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What does -18 degrees feel like? What does a person wear to walk around in that temperature? I picture clothing developed by NASA. Very expensive stuff.
You are one tough chick, Julie.
Julie -
Yes I was one of those people this happened to – someone moved the wreath from my parents gravesite. To my horror, my relatives went out on Tuesday and the wreath was not there. I contacted Sean Johnson and he said it would be taken care of. I hope it has been taken care of. Am planning on sending my relatives out later this week to take a picture of the tombstone with the wreath, just in case someone moves it again – at least I’ll have a picture that it was there for a while.
That is a disappointing experience, Elaine. I know they will take care of it, though it’s hard to stop people from moving them around. I’m new to CAP, but from what I can tell the number of wreaths purchased increased this year from last. I think the ultimate goal is to have wreaths for every single grave at the Veteran’s Cemetery. That way, everyone is honored and no one has to have the same experience that you did.