Honor a Veteran – Wreaths Across America
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Posting this for my sister who wrote the following:
At each of the meetings of the Colonel Frederick Hambright DAR chapter meeting there is a National Defense Report. This report is typically based on articles found in the National Defender Newsletter from our National Society. This committee focuses on our Active Duty Military and our Veterans. At the September meeting I gave the following National Defense Report.
Stacy Alexander Mullinax, Jr., Robert Neil Baird, John W. Blackwell – What do these three men have in common? All three of them are Veterans. Reverend Baird served in World War I. He died in 1948 at the age of 52 and was a former pastor at Boyce Memorial ARP Church here in Kings Mountain. Private Blackwell served and died during World War II. He died on March 31, 1943, less than 3 years after enlisting to fight. It took 5 years for his body to be returned to the U.S. for burial. He was a medic with the 1st Division and died in North Africa at the age of 22. PFC Mullinax was born in 1933 and was killed in action fighting the enemy in North Korea on April 21, 1951. He was only 18 years old. He served in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was returned to the U.S. for burial on November 1, 1951.
Why am I telling you about these three Veterans? They are just three of the over 1200 Veterans who are buried at Mountain Rest Cemetery. They are the Veterans who we hope to honor when we participate in Wreaths Across America Day on December 15, 2018. Wreaths Across America Day can be traced back to 1992. That’s when Morrill and Karen Worcester of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine began a mission that would spread across the country and beyond. Wreaths Across America day began as a way to use a surplus of wreaths the company had as the holiday season was coming to an end. Mr. Worcester had visited Arlington National Cemetery when he was a young boy and it left a lasting impression. That year he arranged for the surplus wreaths to be placed at Arlington in a section of older graves that had been receiving fewer visitors. From humble beginnings, a movement was born to REMEMBER, HONOR and TEACH. This year there will be over 1400 Wreaths Across America Ceremonies, in all 50 states, abroad and at sea. One of those will be right here in Kings Mountain.
My hope is that by hearing the story of these three men you will see the need to reach out to your family and friends to purchase wreaths. $15 is not a lot to ask to honor someone who served this country. The morning of the ceremony will be spent placing wreaths, saying the Veterans’ Names out loud and thanking them for their service. It’s said that we all die twice. The first when we take our last breath and the second when our name is spoken aloud for the last time. Two of the men I told you about earlier did not live to father children. Before our meeting today, I wonder when the last time their name was spoken aloud.
We may not get 1200 wreaths this year. I hope we do. My biggest hope though is that we can grow this annual event, including more and more local organizations so that all 1200 Veterans can be honored. I want you to close your eyes and picture 1200 evergreen wreaths with red bows adorning the graves of our local Veterans. Let’s make that picture a reality.
You can help honor our Veterans by purchasing one or more wreaths and by joining the Colonel Frederick Hambright Chapter on December 15th to help place the wreaths on the Veterans graves. You can donate one of two ways. 1. Mail a check made out to the Colonel Frederick Hambright Chapter to 131 Wright Road, Kings Mountain, NC 28086 or 2. Go online to wreathsacrossamerica.org, click the menu tab in the upper right-hand corner, go to search locations/groups, click on local fundraising groups and enter the code NC0200P. If you and your family would like to help with this task or if you sponsor a local organization that would like to participate then please contact the Colonel Frederick Hambright Chapter via email at ncdaughter@gmail.com or lhcozart@cccom.com or by calling 980-406-6659. In order to plan for the event please donate by November 12th.
