12/10/2018
Americus - Sumter County Tourism
On Friday, December 14th, a convoy of trucks, police, fire, Patriot Guards, and a Huey helicopter will leave McDonough, Georgia on a mission to bring 10,000 wreaths to Andersonville National Historic Site. The wreaths will be placed on the graves of fallen veterans buried in Andersonville National Cemetery at noon on Saturday, December 15th.
The cargo of 10,000 wreaths shatters the previous record of 3,654 brought last year and means that almost half of the national cemetery will be graced with wreaths this year. “It will be an incredible sight,” said Andersonville National Historic Site Superintendent Charles Sellars.
The procession will leave McDonough on Friday morning at 9:45 am and travel south on Highway 19. They will traverse the portion of Highway 19 named for SFC Victor A. Anderson, who was killed in action in Iraq and who is buried in Andersonville National Cemetery. One of the wreaths they will carry is destined for SFC Anderson’s grave.
The procession will arrive in Americus at approximately 11:30 am. We invite veterans and all supporters of our military to come out and welcome them as they drive on East Lamar Street through Americus. The caravan will then turn north onto Highway 49 and continue to Andersonville National Historic Site, where the wreaths will be unloaded and staged for placement the next day.
The incredible number of wreaths sponsored this year is thanks to the efforts of Bennett International, the Taylor Foundation, the Civil Air Patrol, and Wreaths Across America. Bennett International transported wreaths to Andersonville National Cemetery last year. When they learned of the park’s goal to place a wreath on each of the over 20,000 graves in the cemetery, they pledged to help increase the number of wreaths brought in 2018. The Taylor Foundation joined the effort as well, and it has been extraordinarily successful, almost tripling the number of wreaths sponsored.
“It is both humbling and exciting to see such support,” said Superintendent Sellars. “We are grateful to Bennett International, the Taylor Foundation, the Civil Air Patrol, and Wreaths Across America for their help in honoring those laid to rest in Andersonville National Cemetery.”
A record number of wreaths will require a record number of volunteers! The park is asking everyone to come out on Saturday, December 15th to help place wreaths, some of which are marked for specific graves. Volunteers can arrive at Andersonville National Cemetery to register starting at 11:00 am.
At 12:00 pm the Civil Air Patrol will conduct a brief ceremony to honor America's armed forces. Afterward, everyone will be invited to help place wreaths on gravesites as a special way to remember our fallen military who are no longer here for the holidays. Attendees may also bring a wreath to place on a specific grave or on one of thousands of unvisited graves.
Wreaths Across America is a national program that encourages individuals, community groups, and families to sponsor wreaths for placement in national cemeteries throughout the United States. At Andersonville National Historic Site, we want to make sure that each of the more than 20,000 gravesites in the cemetery is decorated with a wreath at least once. To accomplish this, undesignated wreaths are placed sequentially and rotated from one cemetery section to the next each year. For 2018, undesignated wreaths will be placed in Sections F, K, Q, J, I, and the Memorial Section.
Andersonville National Cemetery includes over 20,000 graves and will continue to grow as additional veterans are buried. We want every veteran buried in the cemetery to be honored and remembered for their service and sacrifice. With the partnership of Bennett International, the Taylor Foundation, the Civil Air Patrol, and Wreaths Across America, the park has set a new goal of 20,000 wreaths by 2020!
We hope you will join us on Saturday, December 15th and help us pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much for this country by placing a wreath on a veteran’s grave.
Beginning December 1, 2017, wreaths no larger than 20 inches and floral blankets no larger than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted in the cemetery. Wreaths should be brought in person, or delivered by a florist, directly to the gravesite. To find the location of a specific grave, please visit http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov or stop at the National Prisoner of War Museum for assistance.
Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. -Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Park grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The National Prisoner of War Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, or visit at www.nps.gov/ande/. Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS or on Twitter www.twitter.com/andeNHS.
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