ARLINGTON, Va. (AFPN) — Christmas wreaths adorn head stones at Arlington National Cemetery.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jim Varhegyi)
The first ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. at the old county court house on the square in Manchester where seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed at the war memorials.
Each wreath represents a military service plus the U.S. Coast Guard, the Merchant Marines and to honor POW/MIAs.
At 11 am. three ceremonies and wreath placement will be held at local cemeteries. This is the same time a ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 wreaths will be placed.
The local cemeteries are:
Oakwood Cemetery in Tullahoma (corner of Wilson and N. Jackson Streets) where almost 230 military veterans are buried. This ceremony with seven ceremonial wreaths and wreath placement on military veterans graves will be supported by the Marine Corps Junior ROTC from Tullahoma High School,
Cub and Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and local veterans groups.
Hurricane Grove Cemetery in Rural Coffee County (just NW of I-24 exit 105) where approximately 35 military veterans are buried. This ceremony with seven ceremonial wreaths and wreath placement on military veterans will be supported by the Air Force Junior ROTC from Coffee County Central High
School;
Beech Grove Confederate Cemetery (just east of I-24 at the Beech Grove exit) where 59 veterans are buried. Contact for the Beech Grove Cemetery effort is Paul McCullough (615) 232-4445.
Following those ceremonies seven ceremonial wreaths only will be placed at Citizens Cemetery (Old Camp Forrest Cemetery) in Tullahoma and at Rose Hill Cemetery between Manchester and Tullahoma on Highway 55.
Then at 2 p.m. a ceremony placing seven ceremonial wreaths and then wreaths on almost 90 military veterans graves will take place at Fredonia Cemetery in rural Coffee County. This ceremony will be supported by the Army Junior ROTC from Warren County High School. The public is invited to all these ceremonies and to help place wreaths on military veterans graves.
Wreaths across America has placed Remembrance Wreaths on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery at Christmas for more than 25 years.
For the second year Coffee County joins more than 1,400 other sites nation-wide participating in this program to honor our deceased military veterans.
The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee is responsible for this project with 100 percent of all funds collected locally being used to order and place wreaths on veterans graves. The committee appreciates the generous donations that make this program possible. $15 sponsors one wreath – $30 sponsors two wreaths – $75 sponsors five wreaths $150 sponsors 15 wreaths. Checks should be made out to WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA TM and dropped off or mailed to Cyndi Clower (931) 728-9898 at Clower Automotive at 1406 McArthur St. Manchester, TN 37355. Wreaths across America is an IRS 501c3 non-profit, donations are tax deductible.
If you would like to volunteer to help place wreaths on December 15th, Cyndi Clower at (931) 728-9898 or Claude Morse at (931) 247-5151.
