Nearly a thousand ribbon-bedecked wreaths will be distributed to be placed on the graves of veterans throughout Bartholomew County later this month.
This will be the 10th anniversary of the “Wreaths Across Bartholomew County,” organized by the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 24 in Columbus.
On Saturday, Nov. 30, about 850 wreaths will be taken to the veterans section on the north side of Garland Brook Cemetery, said squadron commander Bill Erfmeier.
A brief ceremony will begin that day at noon that will include the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer, and the playing of “Taps” by Sam Mathews, a member of the Youth Trumpet Tap Corp., Erfmeier said.
Nearly half of the smaller wreaths (more than 400) will be placed at each grave in Garland Brook’s two veterans sections, Erfmeier said. A number of youth groups that include the Boy Scouts, the Young Marines and the Sea Cadets will have members there to assist in the project, he said.
But there will still be more than 400 wreaths left. The Sons of the American Legion are inviting local residents to the ceremony to pick up a wreath, so they can adorn the grave of a veteran close to them buried elsewhere in Garland Brook or at another cemetery, the squadron commander said.
“All of our veterans deserve honor, and a wreath is one way to show it during the holiday season,” Erfmeier said.
Officials at Garland Brook said there are more than 1,000 graves in the two sections dedicated to veterans, but that number includes spouses of the deceased. Officials believe the first section was established in the 1960s and the second in the late 1990s. In all, there are more than 4,000 veterans buried at Garland Brook.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s ceremony, soup will be served to participants at the American Legion Post #24, located at 2515 25th St.
The Sons of the Legion coordinates a ceremony with the first lighting of holiday luminaria bags on Sunday, Dec. 1, Erfmeier said.
Traditionally, luminaria are intended to honor both survivors and the deceased, which is why the American Cancer Society frequently uses the illuminated bags to honor both cancer survivors and victims during Relay for Life events.
Over the last 10 years, the “Wreaths Across Bartholomew County” program has come a long way, Erfmeier said. The 2009 project was modest due to a late start and consisted of only three large wreaths placed at the Memorial for Veterans.
But in 2010, organizers raised enough money to place 100 wreaths on graves of area veterans. The tradition continued into 2011 with 300 wreaths.
“It just seemed to keep growing more and more every year,” Erfmeier said.
The Sons of the Legion have taken on the additional responsibility of putting up large holiday wreaths at cemeteries in Harrison Township, Hope and Newbern, he said.
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The Wreaths Across America project began modestly in 1992 when a for-profit wreath-making company in Maine decorated several hundred graves in Arlington National Cemetery with surplus stock. The project got national attention and spread across the country.
It reached Columbus in 2009, largely due to the efforts of Hope resident Lou Broering, a retired Cummins Inc. engineer who was an adjutant for the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 24.
With the name of “Wreaths Across Bartholomew County," the inaugural 2009 program placed three large wreaths at the Memorial for Veterans.
Although the holiday wreath program kept gaining support every year, Broering did not live long enough to see his efforts come to fruition. He died on Nov. 20, 2010 at the age of 73.
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Although organizers of "Wreaths Across Bartholomew County" say their program enjoys strong public support, the Sons of the American Legion still need additional financial contributions to purchase all wreaths and materials needed this year.
Tax deductible donations can be sent to the American Legion Post #24 at 2515 25th St., Columbus. More information is available by calling 812-376-7036.
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