County Hosts Wreaths Across America Ceremony

GOSHEN – Orange County hosted a Wreaths Across America ceremony on Saturday, December 18th at the County’s Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

“The positive response we’ve received about this event has been overwhelming, and we were proud to host the ceremony again,” Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said. “The event was a tremendous success, and we appreciate the outpouring of support from residents throughout the County. Hundreds of residents participated which is a testament to how committed Orange County is to our veterans.”

Approximately 3,400 wreaths were laid during the ceremony by more than 200 volunteers at the 19-acre Veterans Memorial Cemetery which has 13,400 plots. About 3,600 men and women are buried there, including 2,700 veterans. Wreaths Across America is a national event, which pays tribute to the military’s fallen heroes during the holidays.

The tradition of laying wreaths to honor veterans began in 1992, when Morrill Worcester, the owner of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, had extra wreaths at the close of the holiday season. Worcester remembered a boyhood trip to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. and decided to donate 5,000 wreaths to be placed on the headstones of an older section of the cemetery. By 2014, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies.

“I want to thank County Executive Neuhaus for his continued support of Wreaths Across America,” said Christian Farrell, Orange County’s Veterans Service Agency Director. “I also proudly acknowledge my staff for the time and effort that they put into organizing this ceremony. We were honored to take part in this meaningful event with our partners in the veteran’s community and have been overwhelmed by the number of residents who want to make sure all the brave servicemen and women buried at the Orange County Veterans Memorial Cemetery are remembered this holiday season.”