December is one month that toy runs are being held all across the country. Sometimes you like to write about something a little different from the ordinary events taking place. I have been looking through the bikes shop, on the internet, and in magazines for an event to cover. David Settle, the promoter of the Milledgeville Thunder Rally, and a friend of mine from Milledgeville sent me an e-mail about an event called Wreaths Across America. A wreath laying ceremony to honor all veterans was going to take place on the 15th of December at the Georgia Memorial Veterans Cemetery just south of Milledgeville off Vinson Highway.
Friday I headed to Milledgeville to look over the location where the event was to be held. I found the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery located about 5 miles south of Milledgeville, Georgia. This was the first veterans cemetery in the state of Georgia and was dedicated in December of 2001. This will be the final resting place for more than 100,000 Georgia veterans and their spouses on 142 acres of land received from the Georgia Forestry Commission. When you visit you can find an administration building and a visitor's center located to the right of the entrance. At the visitor's center you will see an information booth where you type in the name of the veteran and it directs you to his or her plot.
When Saturday came I headed to the Columbia Mall in Milledgeville where the ride would start forming in the parking lot at 10:15 a.m. At 11:00 a.m. the Patriot Guards would lead the bikes to the cemetery. I took a few photos of the riders and then I decided to ride on to the veteran's cemetery to wait for the Patriot Guards, the Christian Motorcyclists Association, and the Milledgeville Cruisers Motorcycle Club to come riding in for the wreath laying ceremony.
I arrived at the cemetery and waited at the front entrance, which was decorated with American flags waving in the wind. After about 45 minutes I saw one lone Baldwin County Sheriff’s officer ride up and park nearby. I began to talk with this officer and found out that he had been in the Marine Corps and served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. I served in the Navy and am thankful I didn’t have it as hard as some of these Marines.
Shortly after 11:00 a.m., the motorcycles began to come around the curve and up the hill to the cemetery. To me, it was a sight to behold to see all the motorcycles and their flags waving as they rode through the gate. At the entrance was a three-acre ceremony and memorial area. The motorcycles lined the back wall, stretching half-way around the memorial area. I was thinking I was going get some great photos of the ceremony; however, like always, Mother Nature was not working with me and it started raining cats and dogs. Mr. Ernie Simons, the Director, decided to move the ceremony to the chapel up on the hill. Needless to say, by the time everyone arrived at the chapel they were soaking wet.
Families of the veterans laid to rest here received a personal invitation to attend the wreath laying ceremony. As the veteran's families and guests filed into the chapel, the Patriot Guard lined the entrance to the chapel and the sidewalk holding American Flags. The Patriot Guard did not let the rain keep them from doing their duty of honoring the veterans on this day.
The ceremony began with a welcome to all the guests and speakers at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery by Director Ernie Simons. The part of the ceremony I have not seen in long time was the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and I was glad to be able to say it again. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem was sung by Dannielle Lavender and Jenelle Moore. The keynote speaker was Major General Peter J. Boylan, the President of the Georgia Military College.
Also at the ceremony were the Mayor of Milledgeville, Richard Bentley; and the Senator from the 25th District Johnny Grant who gave their remarks. The wreath-laying ceremony had representatives from all the Armed Forces and a POW/MIA representative. At the end of the ceremony, the Fort Gordon Honor Guard gave a rifle salute and played taps in honor of the veterans.
At the ceremony I noticed James Haack, a reporter from channel 13 News of Macon, Georgia was interviewing Larry Klein. I didn’t hear the questions but I did listen to Mr. Klein’s answers. He was talking about how we all need to remember the veterans and the need there is to find out what happened to the missing POW/MIA. Also, he felt a DNA data bank of family members is needed to be setup to help identify the remains of soldiers bought back from overseas.
Wreaths Across America is made possible by the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Main. The company has donated over 10,000 wreaths nationally and because the cemetery will receive 800 wreaths, they will have enough wreaths for every grave. It was planned out that all wreath-laying ceremonies would be held concurrently at noon on Saturday December 15. The wreath-laying was held at the following four locations in the state of Georgia: Marietta, Andersonville, Canton, and Milledgeville.
This is one event I was glad I had a small part in. For more information on the wreath-laying ceremonies across the nation, go to their web site at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
By Tommy Pittard
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