Posted on 12/15/2008 8:21:33 AM PST by A.A. Cunningham
Wreath project honors fallen in national cemeteries
12/11/2008 By Lance Cpl. Skyler Tooker, Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — A hundred volunteers with the Sgt. Mac Foundation placed wreaths on 2,200 graves at the Quantico National Cemetery Saturday, December 6, for the third annual National Wreath Project, to honor the interred service members. The foundation was formed to honor the memory of Sgt. Eric McColley, who was killed Feb. 17, 2006, along with seven fellow Marines and two Airmen when two Marine CH-53 helicopters collided off the coast of Djibouti, while participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.
The National Wreath Project began in December 2006 when McColley’s parents would bring a new wreath to his grave on a weekly basis. At the cemetery, they would place the existing wreath on a nearby grave and put the new one on their son’s grave. Susan McColley his mother, said they decided to place as many wreaths as possible on the other graves because of how few were decorated.
‘‘I went to the Giant Food store and bought wreaths for my son’s grave and the store donated 60 wreaths; and I thought, well, there are more graves than that,” said John McColley, father. The manager at the store said, ‘If you come on Christmas Eve, we discount them greatly.’ And I said I will take them all.”
On Christmas Day 2006, McColley’s mother, father, sister Cheryl, family members and friends were able to place 515 wreaths at the cemetery. People who were in the cemetery that day even stopped and helped out in the effort.
In 2007, fund-raising efforts began early and with the help of American Legion Posts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia and the foundation was able to place 2,100 wreaths in the cemetery.
This year on Friday at 9 a.m. volunteers gathered in the parking lot of Giant Food located on Natural Springs Road in Carlisle, Pa., to tie the red bows on the wreaths. Volunteers loaded 2,200 wreaths into containers and headed to Quantico National Cemetery.
An additional 400 wreaths went to the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The foundation wants to add a cemetery to its project each year. The cost of this year’s project was $18,200 .
There were many veterans groups at the cemetery to show their support including Leagen Riders, Strength and Honor, and Combat Veterans of America motorcycle club.
The Combat Veterans of America Motorcycle Club donated money they had been raising.
‘‘We did a little background to see what the foundation was about, and it is for a great cause,” said Randy Cockers, vice president of Combat Veterans of America Motorcycle Club. ‘‘We are about helping veterans, family of veterans. What better place to do it but in our backyard at Quantico National Cemetery.”
This is an event that they can come out and do every year, he added.
‘‘The motorcycle clubs are our push to the future, because those are the guys you can count on,” John McColley said.
John McColley said, ‘‘We are excited about getting even more wreaths for next year.”
For more information go to the Sgt. Mac Foundation website at www.sgtmac.org.
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