By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Dozens of veterans, service members and other members of the public gathered Saturday at the Sitka National Cemetery for National Wreaths Across America Day, to honor those who served in various branches of the military.
The local cemetery was one of 2,557 included in the event, in which the goal is to place a wreath on each grave in national cemeteries across the United States. After a brief ceremony, volunteers were invited to place wreaths on particular headstones, one of their own choosing or at random.
“The United States of America was founded on the ideals of freedom, justice, and equality,” said Maj. Andy Coykendall, from the Civil Air Patrol in Sitka, who served six years in the Air Force and 21 years in the Coast Guard. “Our nation stands as a shining beacon of liberty and freedom to the world. We thank those who gave their lives to keep us free. And we shall not forget. We shall remember today.”
SEASONAL HONOR – U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka personnel help place wreaths on headstones at Sitka National Cemetery Saturday. About 200 wreaths were placed in the cemetery as part of the national Wreaths Across America program. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Coykendall thanked those who attended the ceremony and said it was the best turnout he had seen in the five or six years the event has been held. After reading his brief speech, he closed the service by honoring each branch. A representative holding a wreath stepped forward while that branch was honored: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. An additional service representative stepped forward to honor those who did not return.
“A very special wreath in honor of the 93,129 service members whose last known status was either prisoners of war or missing in action,” Coykendall said. “These individuals have never returned to their families and homes. We shall not forget them.”
There was a moment of silence in honor of those who died or are missing, veterans and those who continue to serve in the armed services.
“These wreaths before you represent our commitment as a united America to remember the fallen,” Coykendall said. “We also want these Christmas wreaths to symbolize honor to those who have served and are serving in the armed forces of our great nation, and to their families who endure sacrifices every day on our behalf. ...”
City Administrator John Leach, who attended the ceremony with his family, said he had twice gone to the ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery.
“It was such a touching event, I wanted to get more participation in Sitka,” said Leach, who served more than 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring as commander. “We’re really just trying to get more notice out there. The goal next year is to get a wreath on every single headstone. ... I’d love to have a wreath on every one that’s here.”
The director of Sitka National Cemetery, Virginia Walker, said there are 1,160 headstones in the cemetery, including the columbarium wall.
Sitka Elks Lodge 1662 and lodge members donated 78 of the wreaths for the ceremony, and helped get the word out about the event. About 200 wreaths were placed on Saturday.
Coykendall today said he was pleased with how Saturday’s event went, and wanted to thank “all who made it happen.”
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, started in 1992 by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester.
The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and elsewhere, a news release from the organization says. Some 1.7 million wreaths were placed around the U.S. on Saturday, the organization said.
