This year on December 14^th the Cincinnati Sons of the American Revolution joined several other civic groups including the Sons of Union Veterans, DAR, the American Legion, the Gold Star Mothers of America, etc. placing a wreath at over 1900 cemeteries across the globe. We, once again here in Cincinnati  and in Hamilton, added several hundred wreaths to the 230,000 sponsored placed in Arlington National Cemetery at both Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati and Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton, OH. Ceremonies accompanied honoring the graves of hundreds of our veterans from the Revolutionary War up through the Civil War at Spring Grove Cemetery and up to the Vietnam conflict at Greenwood Cemetery.

The President of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Mona Gunn was the 2019 Grand Marshal of this annual escort to Arlington National Cemetery. The parade’s theme will

REMEMBER, HONOR and TEACH with public events scheduled on the East coast states. Formally recognized by the United States Congress in 2008 its mission is to REMEMBER, HONOR and TEACH is the goal of Wreaths Across America. To honor veterans during the holiday season a remembrance wreath is laid by volunteers upon the hero’s grave in every state, at sea and abroad.

Here locally at Greenwood Cemetery, Cincinnati SAR members George Stewart, Michael Blum, Daniel Schmitz and Phil Davis assisted in the placement of 300 wreaths on veterans grave sites, then at the Revolutionary War Soldier John Riley’s Grave.

In Spring Grove Cemetery at the Civil War Section, Cincinnati SAR Helped to transport the 400 wreaths to the tents at the site helped by Bob Sturm and the other SAR members. The Colors were then posted at the permanent flagpole, with Reveille played by Chapter President Turner Lee Wilkerson, and a detail from the Cincinnati Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution’s Nolan Carson Memorial Color Guard manned by: Commander Michael Gunn, Jack Bredenfoerder, Clay Crandall, Gregg Ballman, Bob Bowers and Mark Holland.

A ceremony led by Kerry Langdon began with a moment of Silence, the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation from the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, then a

tribute to all U.S. Veterans whose courage and action secured then maintained the Liberty and Freedoms we have come to enjoy in this great country. After wreaths were laid for the Services (Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Merchant Marines and the Missing/ POW’s the more than 50 people present then began to place the wreaths at each of the selected grave markers and repeated the name of the veteran there (so saying their names to not be forgotten).  After a Benediction, the Cincinnati SAR Color Guard retired the Colors, presented a Musket Salute to the playing of Taps by our Bugler.

The Cincinnati SAR went to the Revolutionary War Soldier’s Memorial for a WAA ceremony to honor the 58 veterans named at that location.