Making it in the MilLife

What do you do with 5000 extra Christmas Wreaths? 

You honor the fallen.

Twenty years ago, Wreath company owner Morrill Worcester took 5000 unsold Christmas wreaths and placed them at gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery.  It was his way of thanking our nation’s veterans. 

Fast forward to 2011. 

 Worcester’s desire to thank our fallen has grown into Wreaths Across America.  700 ceremonies.  225,000 wreaths.  Our fallen  will be  thanked, honored and remembered.

Over 100,000 wreaths will be placed on gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery on December 10th, 2011.

If you and your family would like help with the Arlington Wreath Laying, please read below. 

To participate at Arlington National Cemetery:

Click here for directions for the Metro, Parking, or Maps of the Cemetery.

On December 10^th, the Opening Ceremony starts at 8:30 A.M at the Memorial Amphitheater near the Tomb of the Unknowns. During our sectional wreath laying special wreath ceremonies will occur at President Kennedy’s grave (11:00 A.M); at the USS Battleship Maine Mast Memorial (11:30 A.M.), and at the Tomb of the Unknowns (12 Noon). Depending on the number of wreaths we receive, general wreath laying may last well into the afternoon.

0715 Arlington National Cemetery Gates open to public
0745 Ceremonial Wreaths Across America Truck Parade arrives Arlington Main entrance (time approx)
0830 Opening Ceremony (Memorial Amphitheater)
0845 Flyby by HMX1 helicopters; Wreath laying begins at sites throughout cemetery
1100 Wreath laying ceremony at President Kennedy grave
1130 Wreath laying ceremony at USS Maine Mast
1200 Wreath laying ceremony at Tomb of Unknown Soldier

Due to limited parking available within the Cemetery and the high number of volunteers expected, we highly encourage all who can to take the Metro Rail to the Arlington Cemetery Station on the Blue Line. In addition to the Arlington Cemetery stop (Blue Line), pedestrian accessible gates are a short walk from Rosslyn (Orange Line) and both Pentagon and Pentagon City (Yellow and Blue Lines). At this time, the Cemetery has advised us that POV’s will not be allowed to enter the Cemetery itself unless they have a valid ANC Family Pass or a Valid Handicap Pass. Parking will be available at the Cemetery’s Visitor Pay Parking lot for up to about 400 vehicles. Other parking may be available at the South Parking Lot areas of the Pentagon and at the Navy Annex if we can obtain permission from Pentagon officials. Parking may also be available for military personnel at Ft. Myer near the Chapel Gate.

No other formal registration or sign-up is required. Just show up at the designated time and place.

One final note: Please join us for the Wreath Cleanup Saturday 28 January 2012. Details will be posted in early January.  For more information regarding cleanups please contact Wayne Hanson at driftabit@aol.com.

Lt Col Rodney Lewis, White House Fellow, First Lady's Office

Kate Costa Leming and Karen Santiano Francis, members of the MOAA Spouse Council, attended the kickoff of the Intel Vet Program at the historic Gum Springs Community Center last week.

Intel is, in support of the Joining Forces initiative, now providing a new program “designed to provide veterans and spouses (partners) with training and mentoring services” to help them move forward after a military career. Intel already had a fantastic program set up at the Community Center – the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network – which helps teach young people after school, setting them up with mentors and helping them explore, learn, build their own confidence.

The computers sat idle during school hours and the team at Intel realized that there was a great resource that could be utilized by another population. They began to work with partners at Fairfax County, with the Virginia Employment Initiative Program, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, and the Office of Public Private Partnership, and Joining Forces.

Congressman Jim Moran

The program w ill provide training with onsite Transition Assistance Program (TAP) trainers and Intel HR professionals; they will help vets and their spouses translate the skills they learned in the military and their experiences when interviewing. There will be resume writing help, translating the military jargon into the key phrases that certain business groups are looking for; interviewing tips and critiques; computer skills and more.

Karen and Kate were very happy to hear that this program is also aimed at the spouses of the veterans, since many of them may have been out of the workforce due to the highly mobile lifestyle we all live. There were many other program representatives, showing that there is a willingness to help the veteran, to help the families; very encouraging at this time of rising veteran unemployment.

Kate and Karen with Congressman Moran