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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThus, According to Wreaths Across America\u2019s official story, \u201cIn 2007 the Worcester family, along with veterans and other groups and individuals who had helped with their annual veterans\u2019 wreath ceremony in Arlington, formed Wreaths Across America, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, to continue and expand the effort and support other groups around the country who wanted to do the same. The mission of the group is simple: Remember. Honor. Teach.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mission of Wreaths Across America came rippling into our local community when a small group of friends gathered together and in agreement, said, \u201cLet\u2019s do this here locally.\u201d That group consisted of one of our own Vietnam Veterans, Claude Morse and his wife, Bobbie, Ron and Cyndi Clower of Clower\u2019s Automotive in Manchester, and Dr. Linda Walden. Together, they teamed up to figure out what it would take to bring Wreaths Across America to our small towns in Tennessee.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group jumped right in. They formed a local committee which later became the <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coffee County Tennessee Wreaths Across America Committee operating under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit of the national wreaths Across America organization. Next, they chose a few cemeteries to begin the process of identifying military graves. Morse shared, \u201cWe had to identify and count the military graves before fundraising for wreaths. So we went to the city and got whatever records we could. Then, we got permission from the city to walk the cemeteries. As we walked, we used a software called \u201cFind A Grave.\u201d As we found each veteran\u2019s grave, we would geotag its location in that software.\u201d This process made it much easier to find the graves again. In addition to the geotag, the team placed a tiny American Flag on a wire stand at each veteran\u2019s grave in early December, making it easier for volunteers to identify military graves on the actual ceremony day. Then, they began networking within the community to gather sponsorships for wreaths. Morse shared the \u201cwhy\u201d behind all of his volunteer work. He said, \u201cI appreciate all of those who served, and I want to keep their memory alive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first year, the group organized ceremonies at four local locations: Coffee County Veterans Memorial in Manchester, Hurricane Grove Cemetery in rural Coffee County, and Oakwood and Citizens Cemetery in Tullahoma. Then, after the short ceremonies, groups of volunteers helped honorably adorn a little over 300 military graves with the red-ribbon wreaths. The ceremonies took place on the same day and time as Arlington\u2019s wreath-laying ceremony, usually held on the second or third Saturday each December. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wreaths Across America would not be successful without volunteers who have bought into the mission: to remember the men and women who served our country, honor our military and their families, and teach our children about our freedom and those who protect it. As a\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n member of the board of directors of the Coffee County Tennessee Wreaths Across America Committee, Morse shared his most profound gratitude for the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps of Tullahoma High, Coffee County Central High School, and Warren County High\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n School, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Trail Life Scouts, Christian Motorcycle Riders Group, the local VFW and American Legion members, and many elected officials for volunteering their time for this great cause. He also wanted to give special thanks to Manchester Fire Department <\/p>\n\n\n\n Captain Emmett Wright, Ron Clower and his employees at Clower Automotive, Coffee County Trustee John Marchesoni, and Vietnam veteran Doyle Reeves for the hundreds of hours they have volunteered to get wreaths to the cemeteries, help run the ceremonies, and then clean the cemeteries in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2022 will be the fifth year of locally placing wreaths on veteran graves. Morse shared, \u201cWe anticipate placing more than 1,200 wreaths on military graves and war memorials at 15 different locations. We are looking for others to take on responsibility for covering military graves in more local cemeteries.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TRAVELING ABOUT as far northeast as roads will lead you, lies a quaint fishing and farming town known as Harrington, Maine. Years ago, a 12-year-old boy hailing from the town went on a trip of a lifetime to our nation\u2019s capital. During his visit, the impressionable young boy went to Arlington National Cemetery. Seeing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/DSC_8626-1024x683.jpg\")
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