The Veterans’ Memorial Project Committee in conjunction with the City of Harlingen, the Veterans Advisory Boards both from Harlingen and San Benito and several other partners is sponsoring this program. Several neighboring communities are also participating such as La Feria, Los Indios and Weslaco while a few others are still pending. This is a labor of love and an ongoing process in early stages.
While we appreciate that Mission has the Rio Grande Valley State Cemetery, many local Veterans are interred at our local cemeteries and we wanted to recognize them here. Therefore, we have partnered with the Harlingen City Cemetery at F Street, Ashland, Heavenly Grace, Restlawn, Mont Meta, Highland Memorial Parks, SB City Cemetery and Las Rucias Cemetery in Los Indios.
Wreaths Across America is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National cemetery. It began in 1992 when businessman Morrill Worcester had an abundance of wreaths and delivered them to Arlington.
Mission Statement: REMEMBER the fallen
HONOR those who serve
TEACH our children the value of freedom
The Wreaths Across America’s mission – Remember – Honor – Teach is carried out in part by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. with thousands of other locations of which our Harlingen area is included in the LRGV chapter. (Please refer to our LRGV surrounding area ID designation – TXHTSA in all correspondence).
To ensure no Veteran is forgotten….. our efforts are to place a remembrance wreath on every Veteran’s grave. We have a challenge here because our cemetery data does contain sufficient information on grave locations. You can help us by submitting your Veteran’s name, rank, service, the local cemetery with grave location, row and number.
Our goal is to raise enough funds to place wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest here, to ensure that the individuals who served to protect the freedom of our country are never to be forgotten and to bring the community together in patriotic commemoration.
Volunteers are invited to assist. Families, especially of interred Veterans are most cordially invited to participate. Conversely, if your family chooses not to participate, please contact us.
Harlingen and San Benito, as of now, will be working towards collecting funds locally for the remembrance wreaths to be placed on Veterans graves in all the participating cemeteries.
Remembrance wreaths can be purchased for $15.00 each. POC: Lenore Combs 956 245 1276
LJCombs44@gmail.com Sponsorships and optional donations towards this project will be appreciated and vigilantly managed. Cut off day is Veterans Day – 11 November 2018.
Myharlingen.us/page/veterans.home click on the link Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America.org/pages/150501/Overview/
Facebook http://Facebook.com/WAAHQ (and local Facebook)
A word about the wreaths… They are made up of 10 Balsam Bouquets representing the 10 Special Qualities that our Veterans embody:
Their FAITH in God, – their LOVE for each other, – their STRENGTH, work ethic & character, – their HONESTY & integrity, – their HUMILITY, self-respect, – their AMBITION, aspirations, – their OPTIMISM for America, – their CONCERN for their future, – their PRIDE in their duties and their HOPES & DREAMS that didn’t always come true but left them with no regrets.
Each wreath is hand made with the hopes and dreams for the Veteran. Evergreens are a symbol used for centuries, to recognize honor and are a living tribute of longevity and endurance. The Red Bow represents great sacrifice, the fresh forest scent represents purity and simplicity and the circular shape represents eternity.
We want our friends and neighbors to see the tradition as a living memorial to Veterans and their families – whom we remember amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We believe that the sacrifices made are worth the effort.
Friends, neighbors, groups can go in on a multiple order. Corporate or business may consider a generous order. (a box contains 10 wreaths.) Remember, our goal is to place a remembrance wreath on the grave of every Veteran.
Harlingen will have an Opening Ceremony at Veterans Memorial At Pendleton Park (1425 Morgan Blvd.) on Saturday the 15th of December at 11 am. San Benito will be advertising their Ceremony program at their location. The free event is open to all. Organized volunteers will then proceed to their assigned participating cemetery for the Wreath-laying ceremony. There may be other areas that have a similar program, such as Los Indios so, as a suggestion, stay vigilant for the program near you.
There will be an announcement for a volunteer orientation about the cemetery procedure and etiquette. This is a combined effort. Hold harmless agreements need to be discussed for those of us who are traveling to the cemeteries. We are requesting volunteers for this project.
POC: Lenore Combs LJCombs44@gmail.com
*On Saturday the 15th of December 11 am
Harlingen will have a public ceremony at the Veterans’ Memorial At Pendleton Park located on 1425 Morgan Boulevard, Harlingen to pay tribute to our Veterans and thank our volunteers. It will be similar to our typical Memorial Day/Veteran’s Day program. Seven specially designed ceremonial wreaths will be placed coordinating with Arlington National Cemetery and at many participating locations (Ft Sam and Corpus Christi) all across the United States. The wreaths are specially designed for the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force, Merchant Marine and POW/MIA. Their significance is to REMEMBER those who served and gave all, HONOR their sacrifices and TEACH our younger generations about the cost of our freedoms.
San Benito is planning a Ceremony too at their location. See their advertised information.
Following the ceremony, organized volunteers will depart to their designated (requested) cemetery with their assigned Cemetery Contact for the Wreath-laying experience. A complete list of participating cemeteries will be available and we will set a time and date soon for public orientation at a convenient location. All of this will be coordinated so stay tuned.
*The week of the 10th of December…..Many 18 wheelers leave Maine (where the trees are grown and the wreaths are made) carrying the wreaths to all the locations. There will be an organized motorcycle club escort – a continuation of the World’s Longest Veterans Parade – Maine to Harlingen. The Texas Law Dogs, South Texas Chapter will meet them at Corpus Christi and escort it to Harlingen.
We will receive notice of arrival in to Harlingen about the 10th of December. We also need volunteers to help unload our share of wreaths. They will be delivered to Pendleton Park. They are real evergreen wreaths prepared in a special way for our Veterans. They measure 20” across, there are 10 in a box and the box weighs about 45 pounds.
Here presents another volunteer opportunity….. Ultimately, the wreaths need to be stored for a few day and then get to their locations….. Maybe some Harlingen businesses can assist with small truck and or trailers. Plans are under construction. We are awaiting a list of wreaths needed for each cemetery location. We will have a Harlingen escort courtesy of the Texas law Dogs, South Texas Chapter to the cemeteries.
* Saturday 19 January 2019 – Last but not least is Wreaths-Out Day.
These wreaths are live evergreens. Receptacles will be provided since the cemetery is not responsible for clean-up. We will need volunteers for a few hours for this.
Volunteers are cordially welcome to participate in all the facets of this mission. – from unloading the wreaths to placing the remembrance wreath at the graveside and wreaths-out day. We will plan an orientation meeting. Posters and Flyers will soon be available. Contact me and I can send it via email. LJCombs44@gmail.com
WAA Outreach: There is also an outreach program just designed for our schools as part of a Leadership Program or associated school project. WAA is committed to teaching younger generations about the importance of honoring those who sacrificed so much to protect those freedoms. WAA offers learning tools, interactive media projects and opportunities for schools, 4-H Clubs, Scouts and other youth groups to participate in these efforts. A downloadable curriculum and books are available to help school children appreciate the roles our Veterans played in preserving their freedoms. These materials are designed to encourage the direct involvement of local Veterans.
American History: Wreaths Across America Unit (example)
This is an ongoing unit of study designed to have students develop a better understanding of the importance of Veterans in America’s history. The WAA unit was started in 2006 to expand students and community education by putting Veterans together with children through the mission statement Remember – Honor – Teach. (I have participated in several of these).
May we recommend a search on the web for Wreaths Across America for the big picture and UTube has some great videos on Ft Sam Houston and Corpus Christi. Hope to see Harlingen’s on it next year!
WAA maintains no political or religious agenda but rather a mission to remember and honor our veterans during the month of December. At time of traditional family get-togethers this event provides a great learning opportunity to teach our children of the many sacrifices made by our military men and women. Hope to see you.
WAA started as a simple gesture of thanks, that over the years has grown into a national movement of dedicated volunteers and communities coming together not only to remember the nations’ fallen and honor their service, but to teach the next generation about the sacrifices made for us to live freely. This year there will be close to 1500 locations with over a million volunteers. Harlingen is already on the map as a location.
For information:
Myharlingen.us/page/veterans.home click on the link Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America.org/pages/150501/Overview/
Facebook http://Facebook.com/WAAHQ (and local Facebook)
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