Urgent: Volunteers needed to lay thousands of wreaths at national cemetery

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The delivery of thousands of more wreaths on Friday will require an urgent need for even more volunteers to lay them in honor and remember our service men and women.

Over a hundred volunteers from non-profits and locals gathered Saturday to distribute 9,683 wreaths on graves at the Chattanooga National Cemetery

Days later, Wreaths Across America Headquarters notified Event Coordinator 2d Lt Austen Roberts that there are another 10,000 wreaths scheduled to arrive at the Chattanooga National Cemetery Friday morning.

Roberts accepted the responsibility, and hopes our community will join to place the additional wreaths this Friday morning, December 22.

He says “The public responded to our request and more than 150 volunteers showed up to attend the ceremony honoring the veterans, and then helped distribute over 9,000. Now, we need even more volunteers to help us place more than 16,000 more.”

There won’t be a ceremony, so volunteers are encouraged to wear work clothes and possibly rain gear as rain is in the current forecast.

He added, “Friday is a work day so finding volunteers may be a challenge. We need everyone who can come to come out and help us get these wreaths placed.”

The 10,000 additional wreaths, will bring this year’s total to nearly 20,000, which represents more than half of the graves at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Everyone who can help should arrive at the Chattanooga National Cemetery at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, December 22, 2017.

Roberts reminds the public, “Please tell others, neighbors, friends, family and co-workers. Many hands make light work, and if we have enough help, we can place these wreaths in a few hours. “This may not be easy”, as Col. Barry Melton, Southeast Region Commander of the Civil Air Patrol said during his address at Saturday’s ceremony, “We do this because it’s the right thing to do – to remember our veterans, to honor their families, and to teach our children about the cost of freedom.”

For further information about the Chattanooga event, please contact 2d Lt Austen Roberts.