Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 7 - 13, 2022 UCW 13 COVER STORY Wreaths Across America to hold annual event by ALYSON HANSEN e Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery branch of Wreaths Across America will hold their an- nual wreath laying event Saturday, Dec. 17 at noon at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake. e wreaths are to honor and remember those who have served in the United States military and who are laid to rest in veterans' cemeteries. Wreaths Across America started in Arlington National Cemetery in 1992. A local wreath maker cre- ated wreaths for the cemetery as a tribute to the veterans buried there. National Wreaths Across America Day was soon created, and now the day encompasses more than 2,500 veterans' cemeteries across the nation. "e Wreaths Across America motto is 'Remember, Honor, Teach.' Remember those who served, honor their families and people currently serving now, and teach the next generation the value of freedom. ey couldn't have come up with a better motto," said Ann Provencher, coordinator of the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery Wreaths Across America Day. Provencher is in her fourth year as coordinator of the event and her twelfth year as a part of the organi- zation. "I'm a military family person, my grandparents served, my dad served, I served, my husband served, a couple of my kids served. I'm a very veteran oriented person. Anything that honors our veter- ans I am pretty much a part of it," Provencher said. Wreaths Across America Day will kick off at the cemetery with the delivery of the wreaths. is year, Provencher is hoping to have around 8,000 wreaths to lay at both the Sandhills State Veterans Cem- etery and the Main Post Cemetery on Fort Bragg. e Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry will present the col- ors, and the Overhills High School marching band will play through- out the ceremony. A regimental bagpiper will play Amazing Grace, and the Missing Man Table will be presented by the Women's Veterans Interactive Group. New to the ceremony this year will be a large magnetic board with an empty wreath frame. Each wreath is built of 10 balsam bou- quets, and each bouquet of the wreath has an important meaning. is year, Gold Star families will build a wreath on the board as Provencher talks about the indi- vidual pieces. e 10 qualities that veterans embody include such ideas as strength, pride, humility and hopes and dreams. Once the ceremony has conclud- ed, those in attendance will begin laying the wreaths on headstones. ere is an important way to do this, Provencher said. e wreath is placed at the bot- tom of the headstone with the ribbon on top. Once a volunteer places the wreath, they say the veteran's name out loud and pay their respects, whether through a moment of silence or a brief prayer. Provencher said saying the name out loud is important. "e reason we pay tribute and lay the wreaths, say their name and pay our respects is so that they are remembered. A lot of times family moves on or dies off and no one is left to visit them," she said. "I have friends buried in Sand- hills. It's important that they are remembered. I'm a firm believer you die twice, once when you leave your body and once when you're forgotten." Wreaths Across America Sand- hills State Veterans Cemetery is always looking for volunteers and donations to continue to honor and remember our nation's veterans. To sponsor a wreath visit www. wreathsacrossamerica.org/pag- es/166832. To volunteer or to donate, con- tact Ann Provencher at 910-670- 9280 or by email at ann3989@yahoo.com. ALYSON HANSEN, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. (910) 484-6200 Wreaths Across America began in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery. e effort has expanded to more than 2,500 veterans' cemeteries across the nation, including Sandhills State Veterans Cem- etery. (Photo by Rachel Larue, courtesy Arlington National Cemetery) is year's local Wreaths Across America wreath laying ceremony will be Dec. 17 begin- ning at noon. (Photo courtesy Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery, Spring Lake) At a previous wreath laying ceremony at Sandhills State Vet- erans Cemetery, retired Sgt. Maj. Jacob Roth hangs a holiday wreath representing the service of fallen prisoners of war. (U.S. Army photo by Hubert D. Delany III) en-Sgt. 1st Class Jean Mott, a XVIII Airborne Corps soldier, salutes a fallen soldier's grave during a Wreaths Across America event at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake. (U.S. Army photo by Hubert D. Delany III) en-Pfc. Christopher Longoria, a XVIII Airborne Corps soldier, hands a holiday wreath to a young volunteer during a Wreaths Across America event at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. (U.S. Army photo by Hubert D. Delany III)