ANDERSONVILLE — Andersonville National Historic Site invites everyone to remember and honor our military veterans during this winter season by participating in its Wreaths Across America event on Saturday, Dec. 16.
At noon, the Civil Air Patrol will conduct a brief ceremony honoring America’s armed forces in the Andersonville National Cemetery. This ceremony is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring a wreath for placement on a veteran’s grave. After the ceremony, attendees can help remember our fallen veterans by placing wreaths sponsored through Wreaths Across America on graves in the national cemetery.
Wreaths Across America is a national program that encourages individuals, community groups, and families to sponsor wreaths for placement in national cemeteries throughout the United States. These wreaths may be placed on specific graves, or left undesignated to place on one of thousands of unvisited graves. Each year, between 500 and 800 wreaths are donated through this program for placement at Andersonville National Cemetery.
The goal is to ensure that each of the more than 20,000 gravesites in the cemetery is decorated with a wreath at least once. To accomplish this, undesignated wreaths are placed sequentially and rotated from one cemetery section to the next each year. For 2017, undesignated wreaths will be placed in Section D, Civil War Section E, and the Memorial Section.
Wreaths no larger than 20 inches and floral blankets no larger than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted in the cemetery. Wreaths should be brought in person, or delivered by a florist, directly to the gravesite. To find the location of a specific grave, visit http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov or stop at the National Prisoner of War Museum for assistance.
“During the rush of the holiday season, the annual Wreaths Across America event offers a moment to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made by our fallen military,” said Superintendent Charles Sellars. “For some, it is an occasion to cherish the memory of a loved one or an ancestor buried here at Andersonville National Cemetery. For others, it is a way to honor a fallen soldier who may no longer be visited by anyone.”
Park grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The National Prisoner of War Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, or visit at www.nps.gov/ande/ Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/andeNHS