Wreaths Across America at Andersonville National Cemetery

Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, January 5, 2016

ANDERSONVILLE — On Dec. 12, over 750 wreaths were placed on the graves of military veterans and family members buried at Andersonville National Cemetery during the annual Wreaths Across America event. Wreaths Across America, a non-profit partner, sent the park 675 wreaths for placement. Over 100 more were brought by visitors and local florists.
Depending on the number of wreaths received, only a small portion of the nearly 21,000 graves in the national cemetery can be decorated. Each year wreaths are placed in a different section so that, over time, each grave in the cemetery will be decorated at least once. This year wreaths were placed on the last row of section B, all of section C, and over half of section R.
The event, attended by about 175 visitors, included a brief ceremony conducted by the Civil Air Patrol to honor America’s armed forces. Visitors were encouraged to bring a wreath for placement after the ceremony.
Since this event began three years ago, the number of wreaths sponsored has increased each year. The goal of Andersonville National Historic Site is to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran and family member buried at Andersonville National Cemetery.
The laying of a wreath at the grave of a friend, family member, or stranger is a simple expression of gratitude,  said Charles Sellars, superintendent of Andersonville National Historic Site. “At this busy time of year, the wreath ceremony helps us pause to remember the many sacrifices of these men and women who chose to serve their country.”