Saturday, my sister and District VII Director Judy Caison and I clothed in heavy coats, boots, gloves, and N-95 masks, drove to the Wilmington National Cemetery to help place wreaths on our veterans’ graves. Though solemn, this is one of my most favorite events of the year and I had been looking forward to this for many months. We are always joined by sponsoring DAR members from nearby chapters like Brunswick Town and Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk. This WAA event provides me with a sense of normalcy, serenity, and connection to the past. We remove the tag, place the wreath against the stone, read their name and information, and finally thank them for their service and tell them they are not forgotten. We remember them. Veterans of all ages and so many wars.
Dating back to 1867, these five acres were purchased by the U.S. government to inter remains of fallen Union Soldiers. Buried here are more than 6,000 veterans and their spouses from that war to the Iraqi War, including North Carolina author Inglis Fletcher and her husband John, a veteran of the Spanish American War. For me this is a reverent visit, as my husband’s grandmother and grandfather are buried here, and my DAR mentor and friend Sallie McClintock and her husband are also here.
We began at 1:30 PM and ended at 2:00 PM. In this very short time, our group had placed all the wreaths allotted for our time slot. We would have liked to place more. The sun was shining and the air was crisp but not cold. It was a beautiful day. I hope you too were able to perform this ritual. I hope you sponsored many wreaths this year and will again sponsor wreaths in 2021, to honor and remember those who served.
PS I was completing this Blog, when I saw one of my chapter members had posted something on our closed Facebook page about Wreaths Across America. There were two rather dark blue tinted photos. One of a snow-covered cemetery with the immediately recognizable wreaths against the headstones. The other, a small group of people bundled in wintery clothing including face scarves with one person holding up a cell phone.
The Colonel John Mitchell Chapter in Anchorage, Alaska placing wreaths at Fort Richardson National Cemetery today. It was almost sundown at 3:00pm so our photos are a bit dark but it was such an honor. Our chapter members who could not attend were on a zoom call, hence the phone our HODAR was carrying. We all participated!
Now those women are truly dedicated DAR members. They are fortunate to have a dedicated HODAR too. He could have been home in front of the TV and a warm fire watching football! I applaud them all– for facing that kind of adverse weather and for including their members who were unable to attend. What real DAR Spirit! Congratulations to the Colonel John Mitchell Chapter!
Have a wonderful Holiday Season!
Carole Weiss, State Regent
