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Showing Respect With The Retiring Of The Wreaths
This past weekend and over the next several, our 1422 locations nationwide will be organizing volunteers for what we call 'The Retiring of the Wreaths' - cleanup effort that is every bit as patriotic as the day the wreaths are placed in December.
In fact, if you have ever heard the song Veterans Day, by Don Campbell (a long time WAA supporter) you know that we "teach our children how to respect, by mowing the lawns for Veterans Day."
With winter weather wreaking havoc over most of the country, there is not a lot of lawn mowing to worry about. But for those who serve (and those who love them) each day is Veterans Day, or Memorial Day, and we cannot show our appreciation enough.
Note - Don is also the one who wrote the Snow at Arlington, about Wreaths Across America. Definitely worth a listen if you have not heard it.
With those words and spirit in mind, this week's newsletter salutes our hard-working, and ever dutiful Location Coordinators who make the Wreath Day events happen in communities all across this great land.
Without them and all our dedicated volunteers, there would be no Wreath Day and no Mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach.
A heartfelt thank you to all those volunteers who participate in National Wreaths Across America Day at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, and for sharing your ceremony for all to see.
Cleanup Is On This Weekend - Regardless Of A Potential Gov't Shutdown
Planning to volunteer for #WreathsOut on Jan. 20? DidYouKnow you don't have to arrive via our main entrance on Memorial Avenue?
Here's what you need to know about #WreathsOut at Arlington National Cemetery that is coming up this weekend.
News Stories For And About Our Veterans
whatsupnewp.com
As part of our thank you to the trucking industry, make sure you enter the WAA Toy Truck Block Set Giveaway and Share The Mission with your littlest loved ones. No cost to enter.
If you share with a friend and they win - you win automatically too!
Do you have something you would like to share? We would love to hear from you on any of these Social Media channels:
Did you miss one of our recent newsletters? You can see the archive and update your email settings in our Newsletter Central.
Join us on December 15th (the 3rd Saturday in December), 2018 for National Wreaths Across America Day. Use this map to find a location and sign up to volunteer. Can't find a location near you? You can start one (adding new locations for 2018)!
This Week We Remembered...
Each day we #SayTheirNames and #We Remember:
On January 9th, we remembered, Army Chief Warrant Officer James Larry Phipps, who served during the Vietnam war and made the ultimate sacrifice on this day 50 years ago.
On January 10th, we posted about, Navy Enlisted Frank Howard Bower, who served his country during WWII and made the ultimate sacrifice on this day in 1943.
On January 11th, we honored, Marine Staff Sergeant Matthew N Ingham, who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and made the ultimate sacrifice on this day 8 years ago.
On January 12th, we recognized, Army First Lieutenant Alexander R Nininger, who served his country during WWII and made the ultimate sacrifice on this day in 1942.
For January13th, we gave tribute and a moment of silence for, Marine Sergeant William Francis Hottinger, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving during the Korean War.
On January 14th, we remembered, Air Force Airman First Class Michael Thomas Moran, who served during Vietnam and gave his life on this day in 1969.
And on January 15th, we honored, Army Spc. Dustin L. Kendall, who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom and made the ultimate sacrifice on this day in 2006.
"Remember this.... In truth a person dies twice, once when he stops breathing, and a second time when somebody mentions his or her name for the last time. Join us in December when over one million volunteers nationwide, will say the names of a million fallen out loud, to make sure they will never be forgotten."
This Week's Newsletter Is Dedicated To:
All The Location Coordinators Who Work Hard All Year Long!
With 1422 participating locations, there are too many dedicated individuals to thank and spotlight for all their hard work throughout the year, to make Wreath Day happen. But as a tribute to ALL our hard-working Location Coordinators and Fundraising Groups nationwide, here is a small sample of the words and deeds that drive the Mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach. Video shared courtesy of Floyd Turner.
