Volunteers placed more than 6,000 holiday wreaths at the graves of military veterans at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Upper Makefield Saturday.
The wreaths were laid out as part of the Wreaths Across America program. Locally, Vietnam veteran Joe Hogan of Bristol Township led the Guardians of the National Cemetery group’s efforts to place wreaths at each marker at the cemetery.
Advertisements
“Every single one of these people are my brothers. All gave all,” said military veteran Ryan Yeager, who was at the cemetery his son’s cub scout pack.
Joining the Coast Guard right after high school, Yeager joined the Army in 1999. He went to Germany and went to Iraq after September 11, 2001. In addition to placing wreaths with his son’s pack, Yeager was looking for the buddy of one of his best friends who was killed in Iraq.
“This is a choice that each one of us made,” Yeager said, commenting on the connection that he feels to everyone who serves the nation.
Advertisements
The ceremony is important to honor the lives of fallen veterans. Between Cub Scout Packs 120, 102 and 123 from the Bristol and Levittown areas, there were roughly 45 scouts present to participate in the laying of the wreaths.
“It’s important for the boys to understand how many men died for them to be able to be scouts,” said Patrick McKeown, the pack leader of 120 as well as a veteran of the Navy. According to McKeown, the now yearly tradition is a way of following the boy scout’s rules of showing reverence.
Advertisements
Dominick and Amber Deluca’s son is in pack 120. “There’s nothing better. I’ve raised my kids with two things: family and nation,” Dominick Deluca explained. “It’s also a learning experience for them to honor their veterans,” his wife added.
In 2014, more than 700,000 wreaths nationwide were placed to honor the fallen.
