By Gail Billings, via Facebook

At noon, Saturday December 16, volunteers and well-wishers are welcome to join Wreaths Across America at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery on Furnace Road in Randolph Center to remember and honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.

The Vermont group started after witnessing a very distraught woman who braved visiting the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery on Furnace Road in Randolph Center for the very first time after the death of two of her son’s close friends. 

Sadly, not enough wreaths had been sponsored to lay a wreath on even half of the soldiers’ graves there, and she had none. I gave her my two.

One of those two had come from my Dad Winston Raymond’s grave. I had sponsored it as a “Grave Specific” wreath. When I arrived as a Volunteer and was handed the wreaths to place, I immediately went to my Dad’s grave first. He had a WAA wreath already, as he should have. I stated his name and thanked him for his service as you do at each grave. 

I continued placing wreaths when quickly all sponsored wreaths were all gone. I returned to my Dad’s grave to say goodbye. When I looked around at the soldiers not honored with a wreath, I knew my Dad would want me to give his to another comrade…that was my Dad. I picked it up.

Chris and I had sponsored several wreaths and placed well beyond the numbers that we ordered. The second wreath I gave the lady was going on to a relative’s grave that we could not locate. It was the last wreath Chris had.

Once again, I returned to my Dad’s grave. He had a wreath! Another volunteer had laid it there. I left it there this time…it was meant to be!

I then returned to say farewell to the lady and between us we decided never again should we have to choose who gets honored! The next week I contacted Wreaths Across America (WAA) and asked how we could do better in 2023. They informed me that by starting a WAA Group, for every two wreaths ordered through this link (at $17.00 each), we get one free. 

There are 3000 graves at the VT VET cemetery and with the 3-for-2 incentive we would get 1000 free with 2000 sponsored. Please help us. Visit WWW.wreathsacrossamerica.org/VT0016 or scan the QR code to support this cause. Either the link or QR code will take you to our group page. Hit the sponsor tab. Follow the drop-down list. 

The VT Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery shows up first. Others in VT & NH follow. I added all to our group list, but Randolph is where I am concentrating on this year. You can choose any participating WAA cemetery and we still get the free wreaths towards our goal.

Please share this post – you have our permission.

We don’t know them all. But we owe them all.