NRA Joins Wreaths Across America in Honoring Fallen Service Members

by
posted on November 19, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wreaths_lead.jpg
On Monday, Nov. 16, it looked like Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring fallen service members during the holidays, would have to cancel its annual tradition of laying wreaths at the graves of service members at Arlington National Cemetery due to COVID-19. Now, thanks to collaboration between the organization and administration officials, that decision has been reversed, and the National Rifle Association is looking for sponsors to aid in donating 10,000 wreaths for the cause. You can join the effort here.

“Wreaths Across America has had a collaborative, good relationship with Arlington National Cemetery since my husband first laid wreaths there 29 years ago," Said Karen Worcester, Wreaths Across America executive director. "After learning of Arlington’s decision Monday night to cancel the event, the team jumped into action to help clarify misinformation being shared online and discuss other options we could bring to Arlington National Cemetery’s leadership in an effort to determine how we can work together to find a safe solution to continue this important tradition. I was very pleased that once we were able to have these discussions with the Cemetery’s leadership team. They expressed their commitment to the mission and willingness to work with us to develop other options to allow for the safe placement of veterans’ wreaths this December.

Last year, NRA staffers joined more than 38,000 volunteers to lay wreaths at Arlington. Those honored at the national cemetery included Major General Merritt Austin Edson, Sr. USMC (1897 – 1955) and Brigadier General Joseph Jacob Foss, USMC (1915 – 2003), both of whom served as presidents of the NRA. Additionally, both of these distinguished veterans earned the Medal of Honor while fighting the Japanese on Guadalcanal in 1943.

The wreaths are laid each December by a growing corps of volunteers who join with Wreaths Across America. The effort started in 1992 when a Maine businessman donated 5,000 leftover wreaths for placement at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreaths Across America was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the goal of expanding the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington begun in 1992. Its mission since then has been to honor every fallen military service member during the holiday season.

"In addition to Arlington, this year Wreaths Across America will have 2,500 other participating locations nationwide, the most ever," Worcester said. "We will be fulfilling the mission in every state and doing so safely following local guidelines in all cases. I can’t say enough about our dedicated volunteers who have come together in a difficult year to overcome nearly every obstacle to help ensure the mission continues. We are hopeful the American people will join the mission however they can this year and focus on all the good that we can do in our communities when we come together.”

Although Congress has each year since 2008 proclaimed a Saturday in December “National Wreaths Across America Day,” the purchase of the wreaths is not federally funded. All wreaths laid at Arlington National Cemetery are donated by the public, often sponsored by family and friends of the deceased, but frequently by citizens looking to honor the fallen.

For more information on the effort to honor our fallen military veterans this holiday season, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.