Wreaths Across Anahuac
At the Anahuac Cemetary, wreath-laying volunteers and veterans salute the American flag as the color guard retires the colors.
Wreaths are laid for the Wreaths Across America ceremony to honor the various branches of the military and for those whose last known status was either prisoners of war or missing in action.
Bill Wilkins lays a wreath for those who have served and those serving in the US Merchant Marines for the Wreaths Across America ceremony.
Jabe Otwell, mason at the Anahuac Masonic Lodge No. 995, lays a wreath for his grandfather for the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the Anahuac Cemetary.
ANAHUAC— Wreaths Across America has become a way to honor and remember veterans across the nation, and this year, that effort made its way to Chambers County with the aid of the community.
Laid with care against a gravestone, each wreath represents the life and sacrifice of a veteran who fought for freedom in the United States.
With about 380 veteran graves at Anahuac Cemetary, many gathered to adorn gravestones with wreaths and remember the lives of those who served in the military.
"The freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price. Lying here before us and in cemeteries throughout this nation are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom and without fear," said Randall Decker, master at Anahuac Masonic Lodge No. 995.
Each wreath was handmade from balsam fir, grown in the eastern coastal region of Maine.
"Before placing a wreath on a headstone, take a minute to re-fluff the greens and rearrange the bow," said Robert R. Roggenbuck, Junior Secretary at the lodge.
Decker instructed volunteers to say the veteran's name aloud to honor their service and to keep the memory of them alive.
"We are here to remember not their deaths but their lives," Decker said. "Each wreath is a gift of appreciation from a grateful American."
Organizing the ceremony was a six-month endeavor, from researching graves to marking them with an American flag. The Chambers County Historical Commission and a couple of local churches assisted the lodge in marking graves.
"Everybody in the community was on board with it," Decker said. "Everybody jumped in and helped out."
The national event first began in 1992 with 5,000 wreaths. In 2023, 3 million wreaths were placed on gravestones.
Decker chose to localize the national event to unite the community and honor veterans.
"It would bring a national ceremony to a small town like Anahuac," Decker said. "I think it'll further help us be more visible in our community and it'll also help us with our mission of honoring all those that came before us."
In addition to the individual wreath-laying, seven wreaths were laid during the ceremony in honor of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps., Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and soldiers who never returned home.
Decker hopes the wreath laying will continue in future years as the lodge has new masters.
"As long as the master of the lodge chooses to continue this project, we will continue to do it," Decker said. "I think this one's here to stay."