A Visit to Washington, D.C.

I was in my kitchen writing my New Year cards yesterday and a segment came on the news about Wreaths Across America.  I stopped what I was doing to focus on the story.  It goes like this.  When Morrill Worcester was 12 years old he had a paper route in his small Maine town.  He won a trip to Washington, D.C. as recognition of his diligence with his little paper delivery enterprise.  During his visit he went to Arlington National Cemetery and was struck by the beauty as well as the sacrafic of all the Veterans who rested there.

Life Goes On

Worcester is the owner of Worcester Wreath Company in a quiet corner of Maine.  In 1992 his company had a surplus of wreaths at the end of the holiday season so instead of destroying them, Worcester had the idea to lay the extra wreaths on the graves of soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  With the help of Olympia Snowe, the Senator from Maine as well as help from a trucking company and volunteers, arrangements were made to organize the wreath-laying ceremony.  This annual tribute went on mostly unnoticed for years until in 2005 a photo was taken of the wreaths covered in snow at Arlington.  The photo was seen all over the Internet and then folks from all over the country wanted to know how they could get involved in the wonderful  way of honoring our nation’s heroes.

The Legacy Continues

The Wreaths Across America wreath-laying still happens annually all across the United States.  Worcester’s goal was to have every veteran remember with a wreath each year.  This year thousands of volunteers help to places 2.2 million wreaths in over 2000 locations across the country.  Please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to learn more.

It goes to show you that a small effort made by one man can grow to a tribute that honors millions.

Stay true and be you —

Annie