Wreaths Across America

Volunteers call for community involvement

800.

300.

On paper they seem miles apart, but as the Jamey Johnson song lyric goes, “you should have seen it in color.”

Meaning, in a not-so-positive way, you should have seen the 800 patriotic wreaths that decorated the graves of veterans at Parkway Memorial Gardens in Warner Robins some years back compared to the 300 – actually “less than” – that were there last year. 

And, although Susan Lytle, P.J. McGregor, Debbie McGregor and Lisa Orpin, all volunteers working to get the number back to 800, admit they got off to a late start, as of last week they were short of reaching 200.

“For a military town, that’s kind of, that’s sad,” Lytle said. Sad, she alluded, because that’s where the wreaths come from; individuals and organizations. “Very sad,” the other three agreed almost in unison.

To that end they are urging, encouraging, imploring the Houston County community to step up and donate toward the cost of a wreath or purchase a wreath, or wreaths, outright. The wreaths, as far as the “big picture” goes, are part of the Wreaths Across America observance, which takes place Dec. 19. 

“That’s our challenge,” Lytle said. “Is we want to challenge the community. My first challenge (and this) is because this has happened to me with my dad and my husband. If you’ve ever been presented a flag at a funeral and heard Taps play in their honor (and known what that feels like), buy a wreath. 

“I come out here. I put out a wreath for my dad. My husband’s not here but my brother’s here. My favorite high school teacher. My best friend’s dad is here. 

“So, that’s our challenge to everybody. If you know somebody that’s here, just buy a wreath. It doesn’t have to be grave specific. 

“And I want to challenge the defense contractors and the churches and the businesses, old and new, that benefit from Robins Air Force Base.” Flint Energies, Walthall Oil Company, and McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory, she said, have been doing their civic duty. (Of note, there will actually be a Wreaths Across America mobile education exhibit at the Museum of Aviation Oct. 23 and 24 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.)

 “There should never be a time that this cemetery doesn’t have the number of wreaths. (The 800 figure “is” the amount of veterans buried there.) “And I challenge the mayor and city council of Warner Robins and Perry and Centerville and the House and County Commissioners to pitch in and let’s get these wreaths.”

“It does sort of break your heart that we’re under the numbers,” said Orpin. For all four it’s very personal. Whether the loss of a loved one who was a veteran, as in Lytle’s case, or being a veteran and losing family members who were veterans, as is the case for Orpin, or serving grieving families who have lost a loved one who was a veteran, which is the calling for the two McGregor’s. “And a lot of people don’t know about this. I get it. But this is why we’re trying to do this. To get the word out there. 

“And if you benefit from the base … and there’s probably not a business in town that doesn’t benefit from that … that’s all we’re asking is just to, if you can afford it. If you can afford to eat out one meal a week, you can afford it. Two ‘bougie’ coffees. Yeah, you can afford it.”

“It’s the fact that you acknowledge somebody,” Lytle said. “That they’re not forgotten, even though they’re gone. And maybe their families aren’t here. They don’t live here anymore. Yes. And I think that’s Robins is very mobile. People are gone and left and right I mean they move, so it’s just the fact that you acknowledge that their loved one has a wreath on their grave so they are remembered.”

You can donate to Parkway’s effort by going to http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/GA0544 or you can donate to one of five other sponsorship groups associated with it (enter the website and their number at the end): Koniag Government Services, no group number; Middle Georgia Honor Flight, Inc., GA0537P; American Heritage Girls Troop, Chapter GA4316, GA0543P; Civil Air Patrol, Middle Georgia Composite, GA0425P and Warner Robins Cares, GA0362P.

If you scan the barcode, Lytle said it will allow them to receive $5 forward for every wreath purchased. “So for every three point one wreaths sold, Parkway earns another wreath,” she said. 

One of the lines from Johnson’s song – clearly about veterans – goes:

“If it looks like we were scared to death.
“Like a couple of kids just tryna save each other.
“You should’ve seen it in color.”
That’s the hope of Lytle, the McGregor’s and Orpin. In splendid color covering the countryside and decorating every grave and honoring every veteran in their gardens.

About Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America was founded in 1992 by Morrill Worcester, a Maine businessman, It began as a small tribute at Arlington National Cemetery after he saw the impact of wreaths there as a boy. Today, it operates nationwide, placing over 3 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths each year at more than 5,500 locations in all 50 states, at sea, and abroad. The program’s core message is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.