The local ceremony had its origins in one simple comment .
One day , a 16-year-old 4-H student said to Watkins , “ Why don ’ t you do Wreaths Across America ?” Watkins , chair of the Fairlawn Cemetery Board , said she had never thought of that before . But from that simple comment , an entire vision was cast .
At the time , Watkins didn ’ t know it was possible to celebrate the lives of service men and women , thinking it was just for military cemeteries . She ’ s thankful today for that teenage girl who suggested that they consider hosting their own ceremony at Fairlawn , Stillwater ’ s oldest cemetery .
“ We thought there may be possibly 800 veterans buried at Fairlawn ,” she said . “ We immediately set a goal to raise money .” Each wreath cost $ 15 , and the goal was to lay one at each veteran ’ s grave .
In addition , the board began contacting the public and getting the word out . They told the Boys Scouts , 4-H groups , and on and on the list went , too many volunteers to count . Their plans to hold a remembrance ceremony grew .
But when they actually counted the military graves at Fairlawn , they were surprised to find that there were at least 1,200 veterans buried here . They had to increase their budget by 50 percent to accommodate the added expenses . At the first annual Wreaths Across America ceremony , around 400 people attended .
Richard Opdyke , Adjutant at the American Legion Hanner-Sharp Post 129 in Stillwater , said that the ceremony is always well attended .
“ People are there who respect the military and want to pay tribute , especially at Christmastime ,” he said . “ And sometimes , it ’ s cold and blustery , and [ yet ] they ’ re still there .”
The most important part of the entire event included specific instructions about the actual wreath laying .
“ The wreath laying is not decorating a grave ,” Watkins said . “ It ’ s honoring the life of that person . Whoever lays the wreath quietly walks up to the grave , says the name of the person out loud , and thanks that person for their service .”
Watkins said that the point of Wreaths Across America is to never let a military person die twice .
“ You die the first time when your body shuts down , and you ’ re either buried or cremated ,” she said . “ You die twice when you ’ re forgotten , when no one says your name again . We have vowed at Fairlawn to never forget . Once a year , each service man or woman will be called by name and thanked for his or her service .”
The wreaths are left at the graves during the winter , usually staying until February .
It ’ s important to remember that the wreaths are not Christmas wreaths , but are veteran wreaths , Watkins pointed out .
They ’ re made from 10 Balsamic bouquets , a symbol of honor , respect , and victory . The trees are not harmed , as only the tips are cut . “ It actually helps the tree grow ,” she said . But there ’ s more to the wreaths than a simple decoration . The wreaths represent 10 special qualities that veterans embody : their belief in a greater good ; their love for each other ; their strength , work ethic , and character ; their honesty and integrity ; their humility , selflessness , and modesty ; their ambitions and aspirations , their optimism for America ; their concern for the future ; their pride in their duties ; and their hopes and dreams that didn ’ t always come true , but left them with no regrets .
The circular shape represents eternity , the evergreens stand for longevity and endurance , the forest scent embodies purity and simplicity and the red bow represents great sacrifice .
In 1992 , Morrill Worcester , the founder of Wreaths Across America and owner of Worcester Wreaths , had a surplus of 5,000 wreaths left over one year . He decided to use them for a special purpose – to honor our country ’ s veterans .
With help from Maine Senator Olympia Snowe and a host of volunteers , Worcester arranged for the wreaths to be taken to an older section of Arlington National Cemetery and laid at these barely visited graves .
He continued this practice quietly for many years , until one day a photo of their work went viral in 2005 . It showed row upon row of graves at Arlington National Cemetery , each one adorned with a wreath bearing a red bow .
From that moment on , Worcester ’ s simple act garnered national interest , spurning others to get involved and providing the catalyst for the now well-known
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 14