Westfield, MA was honored to have Wreaths Across America make a stop in their motorcade trip from Maine to Arlington Cemetary on December 11, 2012.
The town turned out in style with people lining the streets from the Mass Turnpike exit to Stanley Park. The school children came out with signs and flags and shouted and cheered as the convoy drove past. I stood near the library with my 11 year old daughter who was there with South Middle School. I was thrilled to be able to share this moment with her.
It was an amazing thing to drive through town and see the residents, especially the children, standing in the cold with such excitement and enthusiasm for the event. When I reached Stanley Park the energy was no less powerful and the crowd was chilled, but glad to be there for such an auspicious event.
Wreaths Across America is a not for profit organization that delivers wreaths from Maine to Arlington Cemetery. Their objectives are not only to honor the veterans, but also to teach the next generation about what these veterans mean to them. From their website:
Why Is The TEACH Part Of The Mission So Important?
In the immortal words of Ronald Reagan – 40th United States President (1911 – 2004):
‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.’
The executive director, Karen Worcester, said that she was very moved by the turn out of citizens, but especially students and that “Westfield has it going on” for letting their students experience the veteran’s parade. She complimented the speeches done by middle school children and complimented Westfield for their patriotism.
A wreath for each branch of the armed services was placed before the Veteran’s Memorial in a moving ceremony and a wonderful presentation for Vietnam Veterans was presented.
While we all shivered on the outside and our toes grew cold, our hearts were warm with pride in the City of Westfield and in veterans all around the country. It is important to remember the service that was done to protect and preserve our nation and I for one was proud to be a resident of Westfield and the United States of America.
Here is a video I made of the event:
Here is the brochure that Wreaths Across America puts out about the educational aspect:
