Local families, veteran groups, musicians, students, and volunteers will take part in a growing tradition to remember, honor, and teach

By Michele Taranto

This is Norwood’s eighth season participating in Wreaths Across America where holiday wreaths will be placed on local service men and women’s graves at Highland and Old Parish Cemeteries. This year’s theme is, ‘Keep Moving Forward.’

“There will always be challenges to overcome as individuals, community, and a country, but we must keep moving forward together,” Wreaths Across America Executive Director Karen Worcester said. 

The event will take place on Saturday, Dec, 13, 12 noon, Highland Cemetery, 302 Winter St. Volunteers and visitors are encouraged to arrive between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m., as the minute of silence across Norwood America and islands begins at 12 noon.

This year’s event will include local veteran representatives, families sharing personal stories of loved ones, and spokespeople from support organizations. Norwood residents are invited to join more than two million volunteers and supporters who will gather to Remember, Honor, and Teach at more than 5,200 participating locations in all 50 states Too many heroes have no one left to visit their graves, which is why Wreaths Across America exists. In fact, as each volunteer places a wreath on a grave they are asked to say the veteran’s name out loud to ensure their legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice is never forgotten.

Highlights for this year have been confirmed or yet to be confirmed:

Derek Wennerstrand will be the M/C as the Veteran’s Agent for the town of Norwood. 

Cynthia Postler will ask Chris Donovan from the Boston Executive Helicopters / 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment if he is available to fly over with his Apache Tomahawk.

Last year his fly over had a huge impact on the attendees.

Location Coordinator Andrea Reed representing business sponsor Ecolab in partnership with Wreaths Across America.

Donations should be only on the WAA official website MAHOPC – Highland & Old Parish Cemeteries. 

We have heard that other organizations have been raising funds using WAA as their pitch, but only donations to WAA goes to the non-profit.

John Mahoney from the Boston Symphony Orchestra will be asked if he can play taps.

Kevin Wisehart has confirmed that he will volunteer to play bag pipes again this year.

Jake Myles (Dedham HS) spoke about his grandfather (Airforce veteran) last year and this year he confirmed he will honor his grandmother, who is also a veteran.

Zach Skutt (Providence College) confirmed he will return to honor of his grandfather who is a Vietnam War Veteran and he was a Sergeant in the Security Police in the Airforce - his medals include: National Defense, Small arms expert, Outstanding Unit citation wit valor, The longevity ribbon, Vietnam war Campaign medal with two bronze service stars, Republic of south Vietnam campaign medal, and Eagle feather presented by the Seneca Nation of Indians in recognition as a true warrior.

George Curtis, Jr will be asked to represent the Norwood Historical Society (his father is the most highly decorate veteran in Highland Cemetery. 

Dave Campisano / Stacy Coyne will be asked to represent 22Mohawks, which is a non-profit that brings awareness to veteran suicide, creates events to bring veterans, their families, and communities together, and connect disabled veterans with companions rescued from kill shelters. 

Ecolab will have a confirmed speaker: Michael Vuolo to honor his veteran family members.

Norwood donations have steadily supported this event the past seven years, however, more supporters are needed to purchase wreaths and volunteers to lay the wreaths on the graves. This program thrives on generosity and there is still time left to donate to a veteran. For the price of a few cups of coffee, a fallen local veteran will be honored this holiday season. An individual wreath sponsorship is $17, 5 for $85, or 12 for $204.

This year the Town of Norwood’s DPW will donate 3 large handmade military wreaths.

Veterans’ Memorial Monument in the center of Norwood.

Front of the entrance of the Highland Cemetery to honor all of those who are buried at Highland.

Old Parish to honor of the 93,129 United States Servicemen from all branches of the service who last know status was either Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.

Wreaths are 100% donation based and can be purchased for Norwood cemeteries by visiting https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/158150/Overview/?relatedId=0, click on the red Sponsor Wreaths button, or the Volunteer to lend a hand. As of press date, Norwood has received 229 sponsored wreaths, 5% of their goal. Let’s go Norwood, we can do this!

Wreaths Across American began many years ago in the eyes of a 12-year-old paper boy during a trip to Washington DC. Ingrained in Morrill Worcester’s childhood memory was the hundreds of thousands of graves at Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the 1992 holiday season, Worcester Wreath used a surplus of holiday wreaths and Worcester used the opportunity to honor veterans in America’s cemetery. 

Through Worcester’s vision, generous volunteers decorated, transported, and placed the wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers in older sections of the cemetery that experienced fewer visitors each year. This tribute went on quietly for over a decade, until 2005, when pictures of the Arlington stones adorned with wreaths circulated the internet and not only did requests come in with donors wanting to help, but thousands more wanted to emulate the event at national and state cemeteries. 

Worcester answered and expanded the memorial by sending seven wreaths to each state, one for each branch of the military and an additional in tribute to POW/MIAs. Just a year later, formal wreath ceremonies were being held at over 150 locations across the country. 

In 2007, the Worcester family, along with veteran organizations and groups who had assisted in Arlington Cemetery formed Wreaths Across America, a 501 (3) (c), non-profit organization to expand the effort, with a simple, yet powerful mission: REMEMBER. HONOR. TEACH. REMEMBER fallen U.S. veterans, Honor those who serve, and TEACH children the value of freedom.