Wreaths Across America took place this morning, at Arlington National Cemetery just outside DC, and at locations across the US, and overseas.

Wreaths Across America

This was the 18th year the Worchester Wreath Company has provided the wreaths, brought in by 18-wheelers all the way down from Maine, provided by themselves and through donations from many many others.

It’s hard to describe the event – it seems so simple, it went flawlessly, but there’s so much behind everything that words aren’t really adequate.

How do you explain the way your breath catches as you look back down Memorial Drive and Memorial Bridge and see nothing but the lights of a convoy of cars as far as you can see?

How do you describe the lump in your throat when you watch people streaming along both sides of Eisenhower Drive to reach McClellan Gate for two hours.

Wreaths Across America

How can you define the moment when, surrounded by people – veterans, serving personnel, civilians, old, young, adult, and infant – it clicks in your head that people care?

What words can encompass seeing a sea of green wreaths, each with its carefully draped red bow, in front of the row upon rows of neat markers that define the final resting place of so many fallen heroes from throughout history?

Wreaths Across America

Maybe the people took a moment in silent thanks to the person whose marker they were standing, or kneeling, in front of.

Maybe they knew the person behind the name on the marker, maybe they’re complete strangers.

How didn’t matter, who didn’t matter, everyone there shared the why of it all – to offer thanks and respects to those who served.

I was able to visit the markers of some of those I’ve been honored and privileged to be a part of bringing home, such as PO1 Joshua Harris USN.

Wreaths Across America

The ground in the sections most of the wreaths went to was too soft for wheels, too slick for legs.

Even in Section 60,  the Tank got bogged down – but hands were there to help extricate it.

In the end, I placed my own wreath on the headstone for a Korean War veteran.  He didn’t die in that war, but many years later, but it didn’t matter – He served, my brother in arms.

That was all that mattered.

Such a simple thing, you’d think, this whole event.

So why do I want to cry, in sadness and joy all at the same time?

This coming Saturday morning, December 12th, several thousand people won’t be home in the warm, cuddled up in their beds all comfy and toasty.

Instead, they’ll have made their way early that morning to Arlington National Cemetery, as well as other locations spread out across the United States, Iraq, and other foreign locations.

Silent Rest - Arlington 2008

This will see the final phase of the annual Wreaths Across America project to completion for the 18th year.

The trucks, carrying over 150,000 donated wreaths, are in transit as I write this entry, escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders, and many others – organizations and individuals.

Patriot Guard Riders - Arlington 2008

On December 12th, those thousands of volunteers will get out of their warm beds, leave their warm homes, and descend upon the resting places of fallen heroes, both old and new, to pay their respects and honor those whose stood, and fell, defending us.

Patriot Guard Riders - Arlington 2008

It isn’t a celebration of war.

It isn’t a judgment on the right or wrongs of the various conflicts many of those heroes fell during.

It’s simply a way to honor those heroes for serving.

A way to remember them.

A way to say “Thank you”.

On behalf of a grateful nation.

Fallen Heroes - Arlington 2008

We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. ~ Winston Churchill

It is said that the measure of a man is not so much by his deeds in life, but by how he is seen after he dies.

If that is true, Petty Officer Harris must have been a man I should regret never having met.

The Washington Post ran a story, back on September 3rd 2008, in which PO Harris’ mother described him as a “Renaissance Man”.  I never knew him, but if the ~400 people in attendance at his funeral today at Arlington National Cemetery are anything to go by, he was that and more.

But for me, he was a brother in arms, fallen defending me.  So it was, as always, a privilege and honour to be a part of everything at the end, to be invited by the family as part of the Patriot Guard Riders to show respect, honour, and gratitude.

I almost missed it, the schedule seemed to be brought forwards, my guess would be as a result of the huge number of people attending.  Up to a full company of SEALs were there in formation, and I swear, I’ve rarely seen that much brass in one place outside of the Pentagon before – including, I do believe, a 3-star Admiral.

I remember looking back towards the road while we were on the Line during the ceremony, and saw one lone woman standing there, all the way outside everything.  I don’t think she was “part” of the ceremony – she disappeared before the end – but she stood there for a good long time.

It was heart warming to think that another “passing stranger” saw the ceremony to honour a fallen hero, and stopped to take a moment out of their day to pay their respects to someone they didn’t know.

On the way out, I came up on a gentleman from Australia who was visiting the area.  He has family in Boston, and wanted to take advantage of being nearby to visit Arlington National Cemetery.  We chatted for a time as we both walked towards the exit, and I explained as best I could the purpose of PGR – he’d thought at first while the rest of the guys went roaring past him on their way out just before I encountered him if he’d walked into a Harley rally

Today was also the first time Dave “Silverback” got to see me in all my full 6′2″ tall glory, using my braces

I think I’ve finally “cracked” the problem of the sections at Arlington National Cemetery not being wheelchair-accessible, if I can take my braces.  If I know which section a ceremony is due to take place, I can leave the Admin Building staging area five minutes before everyone else, and wait down by the section.  once the bikes are there, I can park my Tank behind them, and shift to using the braces to walk to the Line.

I have to admit, it feels great to be able to truly stand for those we’re there to honour.

Of course, this does kind of depend on ANC making the section known in time for me to get there.  They’re not very forthcoming many times with the section.  To be honest, I don’t think they’ve ever considered the possibility someone in a wheelchair might want to go there, might want to go on the grass, and might need to get creative to be able to be part of everything independently.

The Admin Building is accessible, as are the “tourist” accessible sections, but wheelchair access isn’t a factor – as shown by one attendee today, who was in a wheelchair and needed a lot of assistance to get over the kerbs, and the grass.

But I can adapt and overcome obstacles, natural or man-made.  I will stand for those we are there to honour, if I have to crawl there to do it.

One thing that never leaves me, no matter how many PGR missions I do, is a sense of bewilderment at the end.  How do you handle a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine coming up to you and thanking you for being there?  it should be us thanking them for allowing us to show our respects, thanking them for their service on our behalf.

I know that what we do is said by many to be such thanks, but still, it’s strange to be thanked just for doing “the right thing”.

Unfortunately, due to almost missing it, I wasn’t able to get any pictures of the PGR contingent at the Admin Building.

As always, my condolences and gratitude go to the family of this fallen hero, and my thanks for allowing us to be present to show our respect.

Comments

• February 22, 2009, Seal Wife (2 comments) writes: Thank you for being at Josh's ceremony. My husband, an active duty SEAL, helped Josh
• February 22, 2009, Seal Wife (2 comments) writes: Thank you for being at Josh's ceremony. My husband, an active duty SEAL, helped Josh train before he went to boot camp and was proud to stand with Josh's family at his BUD/S graduation. Josh was truly a patriot, as are all of his family members. Again, thank you for honoring Josh so humbly.

It’s been a while since I was able to go on a PGR Mission, but thankfully circumstances have conspired to make them possible again.

Today, with the family’s permission, we were able to escort them to Arlington National Cemetery to lay to rest Specialist Michael Gonzalez.

Specialist Gonzalez hailed from Spotswood, New Jersey, and was assigned to the 340th Military Police Company in Baghdad. On August 28th 2008, he was killed by an improvised explosive device.

The first parts of the mission were carried out by PGR members in New Jersey itself. Four of them also escorted Specialist Gonzalez, his family and friends, to ANC today, driving all the way down.

PGR was able to make a good turnout for this hero, although the dozen or so riders who attended were heavily outnumbered by his friends, family, and fellow soldiers.

As is SOP for PGR, I didn’t take pictures of the Interment, or of the hearse or non-PGR attendees, but I did snap a few as we staged outside the ANC Admin Building.

It was a humbling privilege to ride alongside those NJ riders who had traveled all that way to pay their respects in honouring Specialist Gonzalez.

My condolences go out to those who knew him, and my thanks for being allowed to show respect to this fallen warrior.

Comments

• November 28, 2008, Ida Gonzalez (1 comments) writes: Today Michael is gone 3 months, I wanted to share a Tribute I made for Michael. www.tagged.com/mommagonzo