Winchester Civil Air Patrol and Wreaths Across America Partner to Honor Veterans at Winchester National Cemetery
Winchester, Va. (December 2, 2023) – Civil Air Patrol’s Winchester Composite Squadron, acting as location coordinators for Winchester National Cemetery, invites the community to lay wreaths on Saturday, December 16th, starting at 11 AM, as part of Wreaths Across America’s National Wreaths Across America Day. Wreaths Across America is a national program that, during the holiday season, has honored deceased members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines, as well as those listed as prisoners of war or missing in action. Wreaths Across America began in Harrington, Maine in 1992, when the Worcester Wreath Company traveled to Arlington National Cemetery with a surplus of wreaths to be placed on the grave sites and on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Winchester National Cemetery located at 401 National Ave, Winchester, VA 22601, will join its numerous participating locations across the country to Remember, Honor and Teach on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.
Wreaths Across America started as a simple gesture of thanks that has grown into a national, year-long movement of dedicated volunteers and communities coming together to not only remember the nation’s fallen and honor their service, but to teach the next generation about the value of freedom. This year, there will be more than 3,700 participating locations placing veterans’ wreaths with more than two million volunteers coming together.
The ultimate goal is to raise enough funds to place just over 5,000 sponsored veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest there, to ensure that the individuals who served to protect the freedoms of our country never be forgotten and to bring the community together in patriotic commemoration.
“We are forever grateful for the thousands of supporters who dedicate their time, energy and resources to fulfilling our mission all year long,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “These individuals and their communities know the value of remembering the fallen, honoring those who currently serve and teaching the next generation about the sacrifices made for our freedom every day, and because of their continued support, Wreaths Across America continues to grow and touch new people each year.”
Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America or sponsoring a wreath for Winchester National Cemetery are invited to visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/vawncw to learn more. National Wreaths Across America Day is a free community event open to all people.
About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
All Wreaths Across America Day events are, non-political/religious events, open to all people. For more information, to donate or to sign up to volunteer, please visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/vawncw
About Virginia Wing
Civil Air Patrol's Virginia Wing is home to 22 squadrons spread throughout the Commonwealth and has approximately 2,250 members, 12 light aircraft, 6 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), and 28 multi-mission vehicles. These assets are available to federal, state, and local governments, as well as to emergency responders and law enforcement agencies to perform search and rescue, homeland security, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and counter-drug missions. For more information on Virginia Wing, visit the wing’s website at https://vawg.cap.gov.
About Civil Air Patrol
Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.
Visit CAP.news or GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
For More Information:
Maj. Jacob Bixler <jacob.bixler@vawg.cap.gov>
