2024 Wreaths Across America

Everyone Plays A part

Why we do it?

We have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, but our service members sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year to preserve our freedoms.

In many homes there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We hope you will join us at Wilmington National Cemetery, Wilmington NC () to show our veterans and their families that we will not forget.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

WHO WE REMEMBER

From the Revolunionary War to present day conflicts, our veterans are devote sons, daughters, fathers and mothers, sister and brothers. They come from all backgrounds in life to place their lives on the line for our freedoms. There are millions of individual stories to tell. Sponsor a wreath in honor of or in memory of an American hero.

Remember Honor Teach

Everyone Plays A part

REMEMBER our fallen U. S. Veterans, HONOR those who serve, TEACH your children the value of freedom. Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried by coordinating wreath laying ceremonies across the United States, at sea and abroad.

Join us in sponsoring a wreath(s) at Wilmington National Cemetery, Wilmington NC

Who Can Help? Everyone whether you are an individual, family or company.

How Do I Help?Help can be given in different ways. (1) Sponsor a wreath; Sponsor a wreath through American Honor Guards of North Carolina (NC0181) to be placed at Wilmington National Cemetery (NCWNCE). (2) Volunteer; Come out and help transport the wreath delivery from the drop off site (to be determined) to Wilmington National Cemetery in mid-December. Come out and help place the wreaths on the tombstones at Wilmington National Cemetery two days later on the Saturday.

Contact

Everyone Plays A part

Purchase Wreaths

Wreaths Across America

Location; Wilmington National Cemetery, Wilmington NC (NCWNCE)

For more information on Wreaths Across America please visit their website at www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org

Jerry West, Location Coordinator

910-512-3319

Gerald Decker, Asst Location Coordinator

910-338-6261

Wreath Delivery 14 December

Ceremony 16 December

Wreath Pickup

Purchase Wreaths

Wreath Ceremony Wilmington National Cemetery

Purchase Wreaths

To sponsor a wreath:

· 1 Wreath Individual Sponsorship ($17)

· 2 Wreaths ($34.00)

· 5 Wreaths ($85.00) *Most Popular

· 10 Wreaths ($170.00)

· Custom Number of Wreaths

Special sponsored wreaths can be done in 1 or 2 ways.

(1)Wreaths Across America will return $5 of every $17 wreath sponsorship you raise to support your organization (2) If your group wishes to only sponsor wreaths and not receive any money back, the Wreaths Across America’s 3-for-2 Programs a perfect fit. For every two wreaths sponsored, a third wreath will be placed at the location your group chooses to support.

Wreath Delivery

Wreath Ceremony Wilmington National Cemetery

Each year with the help of hundreds of volunteer trucking companies, Wreaths Across America is able to honor our Nations Fallen Heroes. The efforts of the generous trucking company owners, the drivers, and all their employees make the mission possible. The trucks are responsible for carrying thousands of Veteran’s Wreaths to a growing number of participating cemeteries across the United States.

The wreaths will be brought into Wilmington the Thursday before the wreath ceremony on or close to December 17. Please check the calendar on this site for more information for the delivery transfer.

Wreath Ceremony Wilmington National Cemetery

The following is a typical wreath ceremony:

Patriotic Music

Welcome with a moment of silence

Invocation

Posting the Colors

Pledge of Allegiance

National Anthem

Recognition of Honored Guests

Welcoming remarks from local officials

Introduction of Keynote Speaker

Keynote speaker

Laying of Memorial Wreaths

Amazing Grace

Closing remarks

Retire the Colors

TAPS

Laying of Sponsored wreaths

The Founder of Wreaths Across America

Morrill Worcester of Harrington, Maine, was a 12 year old paperboy when he won a trip to Washington D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career as a wreath maker, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. In 1992, Mr. Worcester found himself with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. Arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections. The annual tribute went on quietly for several years, until 2005, when aphoto of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the web. Suddenly, the project received national attention and thus Wreaths Across America was born.

Fast-forward to 2017, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers placed over 1.8M veterans wreaths at 1,640 locations in the United States and beyond. This was accomplished with help from some 1,800,000 volunteers across the country a third of which are children.