Wreaths Across America Making Connection
In Many Communities

In this issue of the Wreaths Across America Newsletter, we bring you several wonderful stories about how the tradition of placing wreaths is making a impact - both personal and across the community - in locations all around the Country.

We return with our second 'High Five' story accompanied by an awesome video from events at Canton, GA. Please keep in mind that there are many deserving locations and we want to share more of these stories. If you know of a particular story or location you would like to see profiled in the 'High Five' series - please let me know. We already have a list started and with time, we know there is a human interest story at every location.

We will share some news and some poignant thoughts - all in the spirit of the Wreaths Across America mission to Remember; Honor; and Teach.

So let's get started...

Georgia National's Evanthe Papastathis
Answers Our 'High Five'

Question #1: Tell us a little about yourself, Canton, and how you came to be involved with WAA?

I am an executive assistant by day and a flight school owner by night. I am also a pilot, an airplane owner, a CAP member, a WAI and 99’s member (last two are women in aviation related industry groups) and now a WAA location leader.

I live in Atlanta and Canton is about 45 minutes north of me. I know Canton because I have someone I love resting there so I visit the cemetery often. The whole area is just beautiful and the cemetery is breathtaking as it overlooks a lake and the mountains.

Last September CAP wing sent an email asking for a volunteer to be leader for WAA at Canton. I am there a lot, I knew a little about WAA as I had already planned to get Brian a wreath for Christmas, so I thought why not and volunteered.

Question #2: For you personally, what was the best part of the 2007 event?

The Pride …

When I looked up to give my speech and saw a crowd of over 250 people when at most I was expecting 50. When Senator Isakson and Congressman Price both spoke with such kindness and truth about the reason we were all assembled that day. I knew the pilots--in the F-16’s and the Stearman--who did the fly by and the real reason why they did it. When I looked up and saw the love and pain in the faces of the veterans and their families and I knew that this day I brought them a little peace and a little comfort. When at the end of the ceremony, the crowd (strangers and friends alike) literally rush to me to thank me and all I could do is to thank them. These are a few of the moments I am proud of, so I guess you can say the best part of the event for me was that being the leader of the event which is one of the proudest days of my life.

Question #3: What are you super-excited about as you prepare for the event this coming December?

Spreading the News…

I am most excited about what I like to call the veteran awareness initiative. I decided to call it this after I had shown the video to the Optimist Club in Woodstock, GA and one of their members a Vietnam veteran, was all chocked up when told me how much this meant to him because he thought no one remembered.

I am putting together a sponsorship package which will include the DVD of last year’s ceremony, pictures from the ceremony, sponsorship information from the Yahoo links page along with various materials I created for last year’s event.

I plan to share this by speaking at various organizations such as Optimist Clubs, Boy Scouts, Veteran Clubs, and other local organizations so I can spread the word. I already mentioned I presented to the Woodstock Optimist Club.

In addition to getting the word out, I plan to use this package to seek corporate sponsorship. I think this will be a great tool in raising wreath sponsorship and awareness.

Question #4: What little bit of wisdom did you pick up along the way that might be most useful for our other location leaders and volunteers?

Stay in touch…

In the midst of all the coordination it is very important to stay in touch with everyone. Know who will be planning on coming out to help lay the wreaths, who will be coordinating the timing while you are giving the speech, who will assist in making sure everyone present (participants and attendees) all feel welcomed. I consistently spoke with the cemetery director, the wreath laying volunteers, the presenter’s, the Honor Guard, and the Senator and Congressman’s assistants to make sure everyone was on the same page as who does what and when that day.

In addition to that, try to do something personable for everyone. I went to office depot and bought the double sided clean edge business cards and printed commemorative cards of the event for everyone to have as a keepsake (Of course I ran out early because I did not expect so many people).

Question #5: If you could invite ANY one individual (past, present, or future) to witness and participate in the Wreaths Across America ceremony/event - who would it be and why?

I would invite Major Brian Wolf. He is the one I love resting at the Georgia National Cemetery. He was an F-16 pilot for the Alabama Air National Guard and served several tours in Iraq and Kuwait. He loved aviation; he loved this country. I choose Brian because without his influences on my life I would not have made the many decisions which ultimately lead me to volunteer as leader at Canton. I would give anything to see the pride in his eyes as I have in mine.

For your enjoyment we have included a copy of the video presentation that was created from this year's events at Canton. Again, thank you Evanthe for all your hard work!

Wreaths Across America Day in Richmond, VA!

Rev. Rocky also reports that the same draft proclamation is being prepared for Governor Kaine so that the State of Virginia can officially endorse the Wreaths Across America events that honor veterans and their sacrifices. Incidentally, Virginia has 22 participating locations, the largest number of any state.

Sam and Rev. Rocky are gearing up with plans to see 5,000 wreaths placed at Richmond National in December, so any supporters interested in getting involved can find contact information at Wreaths Across America.org

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Recently many of you received a email from our offices asking everyone to pitch in and help us build our subscriber list. We want to encourage people in every community to subscribe because we will be able to share information to build awareness and participation next December.

So please encourage sign-ups by sending friends over to the FREE opt-in page at Wreaths Across America Newsletter .

Joe responded with the following note:

Dear Mr. Worcester, Major Merritt, and Major Murray. I received your e mail and felt compelled to respond to you all. I am the father of Lance Cpl. Wesley Joel Canning. He died November 10, 2004 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. My son Wes was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

First of all, I want to thank you for what you are doing. I have seen many news reports and internet postings of the wreath laying and this past Christmas since I’ve become involved with among others Jim and Marilyn Rose with the Galveston, Texas Vietnam Veterans of America, wreaths were laid by them and the PGR on several sites here that include my son. Again sirs, Thank You!

Please do not pity or have sympathy for me or my family. We are so very proud to live in a country where a boy can follow his dream and have the freedom to choose his destiny, even if it means laying his life down for that dream, and that sirs is simply what my son did. I made my son a promise when we gave him our blessing to join the Marines, I became his biggest supporter, and now I continue that promise by supporting the troops especially the Marines, since that is as close as I can get to him now. I’m biased of course and tend to view Marines as nothing more than a giant heart under cover. I’ve not met one yet that didn’t fit that description. But there are so many other warriors out there who are fighting the same battle without firearms who fit that description, and I consider you another one of those.

Our mission to raise our children to live up to the standards of a free country are accomplished by the role models, mentors and idols that you and your company are a part of simply by doing the right thing. I pray that you can continue that mission.

I would like to help you “Spread the Word", so please add me to your list and I will do what I can to help your cause. My contact information is below.

Semper Fi, Joe Canning

It is sometimes an awkward position to be thanked by the very folks that this project was designed to honor - the veterans and their families who make the sacrifices, past, present, and future to provide for our freedoms. On behalf of the Worcester Family and all the folks involved with the Wreaths Across America offices, we would like to thank Joe, his family, and the many more families out there touched by such loss.

We want you to know that there are a lot of us, and our number is growing each and every day - and that we will not forget. We know our mission, and we know how important it is, especially during the holiday season.

Thank you.

Highest regards,