Today Arlington National Cemetery celebrated National Wreath Day. Despite the current visitor restrictions, soldiers ensured that not a single grave at Arlington National Cemetery was without a wreath. Over the past week, before the grounds opened, soldiers laid wreaths on every grave at the cemetery, in the tradition of Morrill Worcester, so many years before. According to Wreaths Across America’s website: “Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. “In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.” As this tradition grew over 15 years, word spread. Wreaths Across America was formed in 2007 as a non-profit organization, allowing those interested to contribute not just time but money. According to Wreaths Across America’s website: “In 2014, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 sponsorship groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands.” Learn more at WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Today Arlington National Cemetery celebrated National Wreath Day. Despite the current visitor restrictions, soldiers ensured that not a single grave at Arlington National Cemetery was without a wreath. Over the past week, before the grounds opened, soldiers laid wreaths on every grave at the cemetery, in the tradition of Morrill Worcester, so many years before. According to Wreaths Across America’s website: “Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. “In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.” As this tradition grew over 15 years, word spread. Wreaths Across America was formed in 2007 as a non-profit organization, allowing those interested to contribute not just time but money. According to Wreaths Across America’s website: “In 2014, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 sponsorship groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands.” Learn more at WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.