Wreaths Being Laid This Weekend At Riverside National Cemetery

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Civil Air Patrol cadets, joined by current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, volunteers from nonprofit organizations and families throughout Riverside County will be fanning out across Riverside National Cemetery Saturday to place Christmas wreaths at thousands of graves as part an annual salute to the fallen.

The cemetery walk will coincide with hundreds of similar deployments nationwide in recognition of National Wreaths Across America Day, in which the Civil Air Patrol, also known as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, takes a leading role.

CAP Squadron 45, a composite unit based at March Air Reserve Base that's partially comprised of cadets ages 12 to 19 years old, has spearheaded the Wreaths Across America campaign for Riverside National Cemetery over the last decade.

WAA began, informally, in 1992, when the owners of the Harrington, Maine-based Worcester Wreath Co. wanted to do something positive with their surplus of holiday wreaths, offering them to Arlington National Cemetery for graveside placements. That gesture turned into a yearly tradition, eventually expanding to multiple states, where members of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts became involved, placing wreaths.

In the mid 2000s, with CAP's help, the ceremonies were formalized and scheduled for specific days in December, according to wreathsacrossamerica.org.

"Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 3,400 locations across the United States, at sea and abroad," the WAA said. "Our mission to `Remember, Honor and Teach' is carried out throughout the year. Wreaths Across America's mission touches the lives of thousands of school, scout, civic and religious groups across the country."

CAP officials said some of the wreaths are sponsored, often by relatives of individuals laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery, and those garlands are taken to specific plots. Otherwise, volunteers try to canvass different segments of the cemetery, where wreaths are placed in orderly arraignments.

Reaching the more than 250,000 graves at the cemetery has never been possible, so volunteers focus on certain spaces.

Flag walks at the cemetery in honor of Memorial Day and Veterans Day involve CAP cadets, Boy Scouts, police Explorers and other groups, who generally are able to erect miniature American flags at every grave.

Unlike the wreaths, which are heavier, more expensive and have to be carefully preserved for one-time use, the flags are compact, cost less than a dollar apiece and can be reused annually.

Squadron 45 and other nonprofit entities seek donations year-round to support the WAA cause.

Before the deployment begins Saturday, there will be a formal ceremony at the cemetery Amphitheater highlighting the meaning of the occasion.

More information is available at https://ca007.cap.gov.