FORT BENNING, Ga., (Dec. 16 2015) -- The Auburn Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, with Wreaths Across America and Fort Mitchell National Cemetery (Department of Veterans Affairs), hosted the annual wreath laying ceremony Dec. 12 at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery.
Wreaths Across America takes place at every national cemetery across the country at noon, typically on the second Saturday in December.
The event at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery included a service honoring all veterans and their Families, laying ceremonial wreaths for each of the armed services and POW/MIAs, and a speech from retired Col. David Moore, who was the keynote speaker.
Moore is a graduate of both the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Army War College. He is employed with the Department of Defense and works as a program management consultant. He is also a member of the Auburn Kiwanis group.
In this speech, Moore talked about Soldiers being deployed during the holidays.
"A Christmas deployed is a Christmas stripped down to its bare meaning," he said. "It's about your faith, worshipping a central event and the development of that faith, and taking extra effort to show goodwill toward your comrades. As a result of experiencing this different kind of Christmas, the service member gains an appreciation for the meaning of the season that cannot be replicated except under those conditions of sacrifice."
Moore said the same goes for a Family at home. They are missing a service member from their home, and they come together to honor their missing Family member.
"By doing this they also create a special Christmas by remembering the freedoms we have and knowing very clearly why and how these freedoms exist," said Moore said.
After the ceremony, attendees placed wreaths on the headstones of those buried at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. Moore encouraged attendees to take time to learn about the person they would be laying a wreath down for.
The goal was to have a wreath for every headstone, but only 27 boxes, filled with 243 wreaths total, arrived at the ceremony.
To donate or sponsor a wreath for 2016, go to http://give.wreathsacrossamerica.org/goto/FortMitchellAL and click on the red "Donate to AL0007" button on the right, or call 1-877-385-9504 and tell them it's for Fort Mitchell and provide them the Group ID #AL0007.
For every two wreaths sponsored, a third is donated for free.
If the wreath is for a specific person, contact the Auburn Composite Squadron via email at auburncap113@gmail.com to get request honored.
Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FortMitchellWreaths.
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