I've always seen the clip on the news regarding the Wreaths Across America ceremonies every December. This year I decided to attend the ceremony at Hillstown Cemetery in Manchester, CT. This ceremony was started 15 yrs ago in Harrington, ME and this year they plan to place 10,000 wreaths on veterans headstones. They had 13 tractor-trailers head out this year and they will end up in Arlington Cemetery for a ceremony on a Sat in December. 
The CT Rolling Flags, Inc. had a contingency at our local cemetery. In speaking with the veterans that were there, I learned this group had led the tractor-trailers once they got into CT with stops at Stonington, Old Saybrook, and Darien, CT. 
Then they came back to participate at this cemetery in Mancester. 
This memoriam to Cindy Beaudoin was painted on the hood of one of the trucks in the contingency. 
Sherry Pratt-Totten, a member of the local DAR led the cemermony. What I didn't know until now was that 'this exact ceremony' was happening all across the nation EXACTLY AT THE SAME TIME. Whether at noon on the east coast, in Arlington, or at 9am in CA,... the Pledge of Allegience was said at the same time, the minute of silence (exactly one minute) adhered to, AT THE SAME TIME, and the same things were said to honor our fallen veterans. There were not too many people there, but from the conversations spoken before the ceremony, some of these people had participated before. Every branch was represented, along with the POWs. 
... this sailor was from the Naval Reserves... 
Even a mom/wife of a veteran placed a wreath in her loved one's honor. 
Some were very quiet as they proceeded forward to the memorial, 
The CT Rolling Flags, Inc. had a contingency at our local cemetery. In speaking with the veterans that were there, I learned this group had led the tractor-trailers once they got into CT with stops at Stonington, Old Saybrook, and Darien, CT. 
Then they came back to participate at this cemetery in Mancester. 
This memoriam to Cindy Beaudoin was painted on the hood of one of the trucks in the contingency. 
Sherry Pratt-Totten, a member of the local DAR led the cemermony. What I didn't know until now was that 'this exact ceremony' was happening all across the nation EXACTLY AT THE SAME TIME. Whether at noon on the east coast, in Arlington, or at 9am in CA,... the Pledge of Allegience was said at the same time, the minute of silence (exactly one minute) adhered to, AT THE SAME TIME, and the same things were said to honor our fallen veterans. There were not too many people there, but from the conversations spoken before the ceremony, some of these people had participated before. Every branch was represented, along with the POWs. 
... this sailor was from the Naval Reserves... 
Even a mom/wife of a veteran placed a wreath in her loved one's honor. 
Some were very quiet as they proceeded forward to the memorial, 
many saluted.... I felt very special to be a part of this honored tradition and plan to do this again next year.
1 comment:
here in Maine, the wreath company places wreaths at the veterans' cemetaries in augusta (2); my dad is buried there so he gets one too....so pretty with the snow as a backdrop. thanks for showing the photos...
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