WAYNESVILLE — Community members will come together today to honor more than 1000 veterans buried in a local cemetery.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00 p.m., just down the road from the village of Waynesville is Miami Cemetery, one of the biggest cemeteries when it comes to the number of veterans buried there.
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The American Legion Post 615 got to thinking and decided to team with Wreaths Across America.
“This way we can honor these veterans. Originally our goal was to have 500 wreaths, we actually have 1300 veterans buried in our cemetery,” Cara Brooks a member of Post 615 said.
Word about what they were trying to do spread and people started donating money.
“It’s one of the greatest honors we can do, is be able to come here and find a way to make sure that these gentlemen and women are not ever forgotten,” Post Commander Champ Brown said.
Wreaths Across America was started in 2007 with the goal of putting wreaths on every headstone in Arlington National Cemetery.
“It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a crazy time of year right now and I couldn’t be happier doing this,” Brooks said.
Almost two decades later, volunteers in Waynesville will join about two million other volunteers around the country to lay wreaths.
Word spread so much, and so many people donated that all 1300 veteran’s headstones at Miami Cemetery will get a wreath.
“One of the wreaths I’m going to be able to lay is actually my father’s, so it’s going to be a definite honor,” Brown said.
All of this is possible because of the work of volunteers, including the trucker who drove the wreaths to Waynesville.
“When the semi pulled in to unload 1300 wreaths, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have tears come to my eyes,” Brooks said.
All this is just the village of Waynesville’s way of making sure their Veterans will never be forgotten.
The wreath-laying ceremony starts at noon today, everyone is welcome to attend. It is located in Corwin, along State Route 73.
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