PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. --
A ceremony at Beaufort National Cemetery will honor fallen veterans, Dec. 11 at noon, by placing donated wreaths at tombstones symbolizing of each branch of the Armed Forces.
The local observance is part of a much larger annual event, known as “Wreaths Across America,” that began in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery. Last year, Beaufort was one of 300 worldwide locations to honor American veterans’ graves through the project.
Morrill Worcester, the owner of a wreath company in Maine, donates seven wreaths to each participating cemetery to represent seven groups of fallen servicemembers; Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and Prisoners of War / Missing-In-Action personnel.
Six active duty servicemembers will lay the wreaths for their specific services, each accompanied by a veteran of the same branch, said Theresa Raley, the location leader for the Beaufort Wreaths Across America.
The POW / MIA wreath will be placed by Bob Waldrop, who served as a gunner aboard a Boeing B-17 in the 8th Air Force during World War II. His crew was shot down Feb. 4, 1944, and he was taken prisoner in Germany.
Waldrop, of Fort Wayne, Ind., has been named the guest of honor for the event. He said the ceremony stirs a world of emotion for him.
“You think about how fortunate you are to have survived, and you can’t help but reflect on all these guys and gals that didn’t,” he said. It is not he, but those who gave the ultimate sacrifice who Waldrop sees as American heroes.
“Its too bad more guys weren’t as lucky as I was,” he said. “I was a survivor, not a hero.”
Beaufort will receive hundreds of wreaths in addition to the seven primary ones. Patriotic individuals, families and businesses donated them, said Marcy Beardsly, the fundraising coordinator for the organization.
Volunteers handle the coast-to-coast and overseas delivery for the program. In the case of Beaufort National Cemetery, the wreaths will be escorted from Patriots Point, a maritime museum in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
The operations superintendent for the museum, Kevin Trillo, said it is an honor for him to take up the transport duties of such a meaningful offering. After an 8:30 a.m. ceremony at Patriots Point, he will lead a motorcycle procession of Patriot Guard Riders, a group best known for their rides to military funerals, as they escort the wreaths to the cemetery.
Trillo, a retired Navy master chief from Bristol, Conn., extends an open invitation to anyone who wishes to attend the Patriots Point pre-ceremony, and be a part of the trip to Beaufort.
Once the riders arrive at the county line, personnel from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department will join the convoy, clearing the way through intersections and adding a layer of safety to the procession.
“Being in law enforcement, we are a paramilitary organization,” said Col. David Brown, the chief of staff for the Sheriff Department. “We give a lot of support when it comes to honoring the sacrifices that have been made, so we can enjoy the freedoms we have as Americans.”
Brown, a retired Marine from Jacksonville, Fla., said Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s personnel has supported the event for several years, and the department is grateful for the opportunity to honor the memory of servicemembers.
“The ceremony is especially touching for people who lost loved ones,” he said.
“It keeps that flame burning and lets you know that not only have you not forgotten about them, but that America has not forgotten about them.”
For more information, or to volunteer, e-mail Theresa Raley at traley@patriotspoint.org, or call 729-8291. To sponsor a wreath or learn about the event’s history, log on to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.