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The Brunswick County Composite Squadron stands out at Wreaths Across America

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Brunswick County Composite Squadron members at the Wreaths Across America ceremony in Wilmington, NC. Photo Credit: Ms. Janet Willetts (click image to view full size)
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Moving Event held at the Wilmington National Cemetery

By Capt Richard Hart, CAP
Brunswick County Composite Squadron Wreaths Coordinator

12/22/2017–WILMINGTON, NC–Saturday morning, 16 December 2017, was a crisp sunny day and just perfect for the Wreaths Across America ceremonies to be held at the Wilmington National Cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Brunswick County Composite Squadron cadets, senior members, family members and Brunswick County residents gathered to honor the veterans and spouses that are in their final resting place. Our CAP aircraft circled the site to photograph the event on the way back from a mission. The squadron’s cadets, upon arrival and under the direction of 1st Lt DeeDee Willetts, Deputy Commander of Cadets, assisted in removing wreaths from their shipping containers and distributing them throughout the cemetery for placement. Upon completion of this task the cadets formed a detail and policed the entire cemetery for debris before the ceremonies.

C/A1C Samantha Ryan represented NC-170 and assisted Capt Dick Hart, Squadron Wreaths Coordinator, in the hand-off of seven ceremonial wreaths to the all services plus Merchant Marine and POW/MIA representatives.  The Brunswick County Composite Squadron sponsored 333 wreaths toward the final count of 5,550 wreaths.

Through their efforts along with many others 5,172 graves in the cemetery received a wreath. The remaining wreaths were placed on other veteran’s graves in the Wilmington area as well as donated to the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

The Brunswick County Composite Squadron recognizes that the Wreaths Across America program is extremely important and it never lets Americans forget the price our veterans have paid for our freedom. Through continued local education and appearances, the squadron has steadily increased the number of wreaths it helps sponsor in the Wilmington National Cemetery each year.