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Related Images: =
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IMG=20
style=3D"PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px" border=3D0=20
=
src=3D"http://assets.mediaspanonline.com/prod/3791621/4045509_w160.jpg"> =
Former Keokuk mayor Mac Law =
carries a wreath=20
to a veteran's grave with Warsaw, Ill., residents Mary =
Andrews,=20
right, and Eulalee Hendricks during the annual Wreaths =
Across=20
America Ceremony Saturday at Keokuk National Cemetery. =
Matt=20
Ryerson/ The Hawk Eye =
=
Matt Ryerson/The Hawk Eye
Navy =
veteran=20
Ralph Miller of Keokuk removes his hat during the playing of =
Taps=20
during the annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony Saturday =
at Keokuk=20
National Cemetery.
published online: =
12/13/2009
Wreaths Across America touches veterans' =
gravesites=20
By WILLIAM SMITH =
wsmith@thehawkeye.com
KE=
OKUK=20
-- In the center lawn of the Keokuk National Cemetery, seven =
winter=20
wreaths that later would be placed at seven gravesites sat =
facing an=20
audience of veterans and their families.
Advertisement =
insertBanner("adMedRect_300x250");
Several hundred feet above =
the=20
cemetery, a red, white and blue Cessna 182 with the =
Burlington Civil=20
Air Patrol dipped its wings, turned around and made a =
high-speed=20
pass over the crowd that had gathered there.
"It's =
part of=20
the missing man formation to denote a warrior has fallen," =
said Lt.=20
David Waldorf, squadron commander of the Burlington Civil =
Air=20
Patrol.
As a light winter breeze stirred the United =
States=20
flag, those gathered at the fourth annual Wreaths Across =
America=20
ceremony Saturday morning stood in respect as the color =
guard=20
marched down the sidewalk.
Worchester Wreath Co. =
started the=20
tradition 16 years ago when it donated wreaths for veterans' =
graves=20
at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. This was the =
fourth year=20
the remembrance wreaths were sent nationwide.
About =
500=20
graves at the Keokuk National Cemetery were decorated with =
wreaths=20
Friday and Saturday with the help of students from Central =
Lee High=20
School, Midwest Academy and Keokuk Middle School and cadets =
with the=20
Burlington Civil Air Patrol.
"The really cool thing =
about=20
this event is that it is taking place all over the world at =
the same=20
time," said event organizer Suzy Glasscock. "To be a small =
part of=20
something so huge is just humbling."
Many of the =
wreaths were=20
purchased by community members for $15 to be laid on the =
graves of=20
their lost loved ones. Glasscock used the remaining money =
drummed up=20
through fundraising efforts to purchase more wreaths that =
were=20
placed at random soldier graves.
"The snow didn't =
affect us.=20
We were able to lay the wreaths on top of it, and we were =
very=20
grateful about that," Glasscock said.
After the =
opening=20
invocation, the ceremony was led by Gary Folluo, past =
commander of=20
the Sons of the American Legion.
"The freedoms we =
enjoy today=20
have not come without a price. Lying here before us and in=20
cemeteries throughout the nation are men and women who have =
given=20
their lives so we can live in freedom and without fear," he =
said.=20
"Our nation stands as a shining beacon of liberty and =
freedom to the=20
world, and we thank those who gave their lives to keep us =
free, and=20
we shall not forget you."
Among those who spoke at =
the=20
ceremony were Sen. Eugene Fraise and Rep. Jerry Kearns. =
Though=20
Fraise never had the chance to serve, he spoke of his four =
brothers=20
who served during World War II and the Korean =
War.
"All the=20
folks who have been overseas and are over there now, the =
least we=20
can do is say thank you, thank you, thank you," he=20
said.
Kearns, a U.S. Air Force veteran with two sons =
who are=20
also veterans, applauded the volunteers who took the time =
and energy=20
to commemorate area veterans on a cold December =
day.
"I'm=20
proud that our Tri-State community responds in an honorable =
and=20
significant way as we blanket so many veterans' graves with =
a=20
Christmas wreath," he said. "It is a fitting tribute to the =
memory=20
of those interred here."
The crowd watched as wreaths =
were=20
placed to honor fallen soldiers with the Army, Navy, Marine =
Corps,=20
Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines.
Carol =
Hinkle=20
with the Civil Air Patrol laid a wreath at the base of the =
Tomb of=20
the Unknown to honor the 93,129 U.S. servicemen classified =
as=20
prisoners of war or missing in action. At the same time, =
Navy ships=20
worldwide dropped a wreath into each of the seven=20
seas.
Robert Barnes, who served in Vietnam for two =
years, was=20
quite pleased with the service. For the Keokuk man, the =
December=20
ceremony has become an annual tradition.
"The =
generation can=20
forget, and we can't forget. If we want our freedom, we =
can't forget=20
our veterans," he said while choking back tears.
The =
service=20
was conducted by American Legion Post 41, Veterans of =
Foreign Wars=20
Post 3508 and Sons of the American Legion Squadron =
41.
Leave =
a=20
comment!
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