This message is going to be unusually brief, straightforward, but also immeasurably important.
In case you don’t recognize it, I will tell you up front that the picture above is from Arlington National Cemetery. They do this every year. It's a massive effort. Every headstone in the place gets a wreath. Every person buried at Arlington is remembered with honor, and perhaps there is no time they are honored more than during the holiday season.
As the Wreaths Across America website puts it:
Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year old paper boy when he won a trip to Washington D.C. It was his first to our nation’s capital and one that would change the trajectory of his life and the lives of millions of others across the country. Seeing the hundreds of thousands of graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. It was to be an experience that would follow him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of his nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (ret), arrangements were made for the surplus wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older cemetery sections that had been receiving fewer visitors each passing year.
As plans were underway to transport the wreaths to Washington, a number of other individuals and organizations stepped up to help. James Prout, owner of local trucking company Blue Bird Ranch, Inc., generously provided transportation all the way to Virginia. Volunteers from the local American Legion and VFW Posts gathered with members of the community to decorate each wreath with traditional red, hand-tied bows. Members of the Maine State Society of Washington D.C., helped to organize the wreath-laying, which included a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Last I heard, Wreaths Across America day is Dec. 19, just a couple of days from us as this is being written. I invite and encourage you to visit their website and get involved by donating to the cause. Remember that by honoring the fallen, we support vets who are still with us. In my view, that's a vital function of citizenship.
There are other ways to support our folks in uniform as well, and I'd like you to consider them.
I am reminded of a post by my friend Billy Beck some years ago at about this time of year, where he described a group of soldiers in uniform moving through the Atlanta/Hartsdale airport together. They were in desert fatigues, so one might have assumed they were returning, however briefly, from duty in the Middle East. I wish I could find it now, but I'll try and relate the word picture as he described it, from memory.
A hush fell over the holiday travelers as the uniformed soldiers moved through. The look on their faces was more than a little apprehensive, since they had the quiet attention of the whole place. Was it hostility?
Then, somewhere in the crowd, someone started clapping their hands together in a salute to the people in uniform. Like a fire starting, the applause spread to the rest of the onlookers, along with whistles and cheers. The whole place exploded in sound. The expressions on the faces of the uniforms were transformed into smiles, and a new look of confidence and thanks.
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As a commenter at BitsBlog said years ago,
It should never matter where we stand on this war, those that stand to fight and die for us and our freedoms must always be given the highest respect, honor, and appreciation for devoting their very lives for us. Military (active duty and guard), Police, Fire protection, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, ATF, Secret Service, and the Federal Investigation and Intelligence agencies are all the greatest imitators of the love Christ has commanded us to show others. May this country NEVER show the disrespect that it did during the Vietnam era to men who fought so bravely.
Let’s make this easy. You're going to see a lot of people in uniform traveling for the Christmas season. When you see one of them, take the time to say, “Thanks for wearing that uniform and doing our country proud.” The smile you get in return will doubtless make your day. To say nothing of making their day. Make no mistake: It's something they richly serve and too seldom receive.
