A GENEROUS COMMUNITY HONORS ITS VETERANS
“To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can
happen… to be forgotten is the worst.” Pierre Claeyssens (1909-2003)
Started as a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2007, the Wreaths Across America (WAA) mission aimed
to: REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those who serve and their families, and TEACH future generations
about the sacrifices made to preserve our freedoms. Each December, WAA upholds these values
by organizing and coordinating wreath sponsorships and wreath-laying ceremonies at veterans’
cemeteries in all 50 U.S. states.
As a non-profit organization that receives no government funding, the cost of WAA
programs is paid by individual wreath sponsors, corporate donors, and volunteers. In December
2024, at over 5,500 participating locations and with more than 7,600 sponsorship groups, WAA
placed over 3 million wreaths at veterans’ cemeteries across the nation.
For each wreath sponsorship purchased through a sponsorship group, such as the John E.
Jacobs American Legion Post 68 Leland, WAA redistributes a portion of proceeds to the group.
As a result of this “give-back” to the community, WAA has redistributed over $28M to civic
organizations and other non-profits since 2007.
Through the local community’s generosity, Post 68 surpassed its 2025 goal of securing
sufficient wreath sponsorships for placement of live wreaths at all veterans’ gravesites in
Wilmington National Cemetery. As a result of its recent golf tournament, Tee It Up For Veterans,
which included a wreath sponsorship component, and after a successful media campaign, Post 68
sponsorships constitute nearly 14-percent of the total 5,172 needed to ensure that each gravesite
is honored. In fact, overall public participation in the greater Wilmington sponsorship program
helped ensure that the Cemetery exceeded its needs for honoring each gravesite in 2025.
Funds raised through the Post 68 WAA program and other fundraising efforts help fund
Legion programs in the Leland area, including providing emergency support to needy veterans,
scholarship awards to graduating North Brunswick High School (NBHS) students, the Legion’s
annual oratorical contest, support to the NBHS JROTC program, and others.
The public is invited to participate in this year’s wreath-laying ceremony at Wilmington
National Cemetery on Saturday, December 13, 2025. Opening ceremonies will include local
officials and speakers and begin at 11:00 AM, followed immediately by the wreath placements.
Wilmington National Cemetery is located at 2011 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28403. On-street
parking in the vicinity of the cemetery is very limited, and carpooling is recommended whenever
possible.
The John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68 meets every third Thursday of each month at
6:00 p.m. in the Banquet Room of Blossoms Restaurant in Magnolia Greens, Leland (1800
Tommy Jacobs Drive). Meetings are preceded by dinner at 4:30 p.m. in the restaurant for those
who wish to join in. After the meeting, attendees typically adjourn to the restaurant bar for a
social hour. All veterans and active-duty service members in the Leland area are invited to
attend.
To learn more about the John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68, visit Post 68’s website at:
https://NCPost68.org for a calendar of events and other information. To learn more about Pierre
Claeyssens, visit https://www.pcvf.org/pierre-claeyssens.
December 6, 2025
Submitted by:
Eric Mens, Public Affairs Officer
American Legion Post 68 Leland