As a child and even as a young funeral director, I distinctly remember a plaque in our family funeral home that stated, “Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of it’s people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals“.

That quote is attributed to Sir William Ewert Gladstone, Prime Minister of Great Britain beginning in 1868.  It’s something that I have memorized and etched in my DNA as a funeral director and I think about it from time to time.  One of those times that I think about it is this week – which for some people is known as “Wreaths Across America” week.

My wife and I learned about Wreaths Across America a couple of years ago and have contributed to its cause from time to time.  As a funeral director who has worked with military honor guards for over 30 years I have a deep respect for those who served in our country’s armed forces.

Wreaths Across America is an attempt to never let anyone who has served in our armed forces be forgotten.  The organization was started by a nursery, who 28 years ago, had an excess of wreaths to sell.  They donated them to a military cemetery and Wreaths Across America was born.  The attempt to never let a military person be forgotten is that the requirement for placing a wreath on a grave is that the one that places the wreath must say the name of the deceased and thank them for their service.

What is so unique about Wreaths Across America is that volunteers claim a cemetery and then work with the national organization to get wreaths to that cemetery to be placed on a Saturday before Christmas.  All wreaths are placed on a Saturday – at the same time – regardless of location.  The date is this Saturday, December 14, and many of the wreaths left from their home in Maine last Saturday via semi-trucks.

Here is the national web-site for Wreaths Across America.  I would challenge you, if there is a cemetery that participates near you, to get involved in the placing of wreaths this Saturday.  Locations can be found on the web-site.

Here is a video of the wreaths arriving at Arlington National Cemetery from a previous year.

Related—  Wreaths Across America is not the only organization that celebrates our veterans at Christmas.  Here is a video and news story about a local group in Biloxi, Mississippi, and their work in remembering veterans with wreaths.

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