Arlington Cemetery Directed To Host Wreaths Across America
ARLINGTON, VA — After backlash from Arlington National Cemetery cancelling Wreaths Across America, an annual tradition honoring fallen soldiers with wreaths at their gravestones, the event will go on. Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
"I have directed Arlington National Cemetery to safely host Wreaths Across America," read a tweet from the secretary's Twitter. "We appreciate the families and visitors who take time to honor and remember those who are laid to rest at our nation’s most hallowed ground."
Arlington National Cemetery said it will provide an update on the final schedule for the event on Dec. 19, 2020.
Wreaths Across America executive director Karen Worcester thanked the thousands of people who called and asked how they can help.
"I am pleased to report that today, we were able to have these discussions with the Cemetery's leadership team, and they have informed us of their willingness to work with us to develop other options to allow for the safe placement of veterans' wreaths this December," said Worcester in a statement.
Aside from Arlington's event, Worcester also said the organization has also reached a milestone of 2,500 locations where wreaths will be placed. Local safety guidelines will be followed at all events.
Wreaths Across America grew into a nationwide tradition after Morrill Worcester's Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, had extra wreaths nearing the holiday season in 1992. Worcester decided to honor the veterans' service and sacrifice by placing the wreaths at their graves at Arlington National Cemetery. After a photo of the wreaths at graves drew national attention in 2005, the annual wreath-laying tradition expanded to locations around the U.S. and abroad.
Volunteers lay wreaths at veterans' graves every year and speak each name aloud at more than 2,400 locations nationwide. The Arlington National Cemetery event is typically the largest. Last year, volunteers placed 2.2 million wreaths on the headstones of veterans. The 2019 effort at Arlington National Cemetery drew more than 38,000 volunteers to place 254,000 wreaths.
The cemetery had announced the cancellation on Monday for the Dec. 19, 2020 events at Arlington National Cemetery and the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home Cemetery. A news release cited the risks of the large number of anticipated visitors with the current and forecasted coronavirus transmission rates. Leaders had reviewed options to hold the event and consulted with the Wreaths Across America leadership, local government and public health officials.
"We did not make this decision lightly," said Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of the Office of Army National Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery. "Despite the controls developed to disperse potential crowds in time and space, and required personal safety protocols, we determined that hosting any event of this scale risked compromising our ability to accomplish our core mission of laying veterans and their eligible family members to rest."
A statement released by Wreaths Across America said the organization was "shocked by this unexpected turn of events." The team at Wreaths Across America had been working with local, state and national officials for six months to ensure outdoor wreath placement events can be done safely in adherence to health guidelines.
"To say we are devastated, would be an understatement," read the Wreaths Across America statement.
More information on volunteering and sponsoring wreaths can be found at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
This article originally appeared on the Arlington Patch
