Wreaths Across America ceremony to be held at Oak Hill Cemetary
Nov. 26—An annual ceremony remembering and honoring fallen military members will return again this year at Oak Hill Cemetery in McAlester.
A local Wreaths Across American ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 17 at Oak Hill Cemetery. The event will be held near the entrance to the cemetery across the street from the Tandy Town Shopping Center in McAlester.
"It's important because we need to recognize the men and women who gave their lives so we can be free," said event coordinator Dennis Wilson. "We've done the Armed Forces Day celebration; we've done the Veteran's Day celebration, and this just concludes the year with a fitting celebration of veterans for our area."
Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit program started in 2007 by Morrill Worcester and his wife, Karen. The nonprofit not only honors military veterans and first responders but also works to remind people across the U.S. how important it is to remember those who served our country and their communities.
To date, the program and its numerous participants and volunteers have laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at more than 1,000 locations in the U.S., including ceremonies at Pearl Harbor Memorial, Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and sites of the Sept. 11 tragedies.
Wilson said McAlester and Oak Hill Cemetery has been an official participating location since 2014.
Organizations involved in this year's ceremony include the city of McAlester, Mason District 27, The Indian Chapter of the Scottish Rite Society, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the American Legion.
Wilson said anybody who wishes to help sponsor the ceremony can contact him at 918-916-6165.
"There's not any money; it doesn't cost anything," Wilson said. "It's free to the public; we're just looking for support and maybe some ideas on what we can do to improve it and make it better."
A presentation of colors by the Choctaw Nation Color Guard is included in the program.
Dory Francis will perform a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Karla Taylor, of the DAR, will recite the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States.
The invocation will be given by Cecil Lee from American Legion Post 250 with Col. Michael F. Hammond giving the keynote speech. Hammond is the base commander at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.
The VFW will provide the honor guard and a playing of "Taps" with and Capt. Adrian playing the bagpipes.
A benediction by Lee and the retirement of the colors by the Choctaw Nation Honor Guard will close the program.
"Anybody that wants to participate is welcome," Wilson said.
Contact Derrick James at djames@mcalesternews.co
