“REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the value of Freedom.” Those are the reasons the Wreaths Across America (WAA) program started – Remember, Honor, Teach. Each year, in communities across the country, people gather to Remember and Honor our veterans by laying Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and saying the name of each interred veteran aloud. Under the longtime (since 2006) leadership of WAA Committee Chair, USAF Col (Ret) Jerry West, this year’s WAA program at Wilmington National Cemetery was a resounding success.
For the first time since the program’s inception at the Wilmington National Cemetery, area residents donated enough wreaths to allow event attendees to place a wreath at each of the over 5,100 gravesites. The John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68 Leland, under the leadership of WAA Committee member LTC Rick de Moya, Army (Ret) and Post member LTC Robert Penwell, Army (Ret), has been instrumental in leading the Post’s participation in the event for several years. This year, Post 68’s marketing program, along with the support of local leaders and organizations, resulted in the doubling of wreath donations, thus contributing significantly to the ability to place a wreath at each gravesite. The Leland chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars provided onsite support. Leland and Wilmington Lowes Home Improvement stores and the Patriot Guard Riders, some of whom are American Legion Riders from Post 68, provided logistical support for the delivery of wreaths to the cemetery.
With honored representatives from America’s Gold Star and Blue Star Mothers present, a crowd of several hundred area residents participated in this year’s event. Lt. Col. Patty Kelley USAF (Ret), a Post 68 and WAA Committee member, opened the ceremonies at 12 Noon on Saturday, December 14, 2024. The Honorable James Faison III provided the invocation, followed by the Presentation of the Colors by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Honor Guard. Cadet Valeria Alvarado, Battalion Commander, North Brunswick High School Army JROTC, led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. Residents Karen Lilley, Corki Jarvis, and Mary Wezwick provided a stirring rendition of the National Anthem.
Area veterans and active-duty personnel from each of the services, including the Coast Guard and Merchant Marines, placed a wreath at the foot of the podium in honor of their respective services. Local dignitaries Bill Saffo, City of Wilmington Mayor; Brenda Bozeman, Town of Leland Mayor; and Bill Rivenbark, Chairman New Hanover County Commissioners, provided initial welcoming commentaries to the attendees, followed by Keynote Speaker Admiral Karl Schultz, 26th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. After Taps performed by Bagpiper Daryl Chambers, attendees placed wreaths throughout the cemetery, culminating in a successful event on a beautiful sunny winter day in Wilmington. The Wilmington National Cemetery is located at 2011 Market Street, Wilmington, NC, and open to the public from sunrise to sunset. For more information, visit https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/wilmington.asp.