FORTVILLE — Wreaths with red bows cover more than 800 veteran gravestones as community members and groups such as the Civil Air Patrol, the Boy Scouts, VFW Post 6904 and more come together at Gravel Lawn Cemetery on Dec. 16.
While decorating her grandfather’s grave and his brothers, Misty Dobbins Rambis noticed the amount of veteran graves in Gravel Lawn Cemetery, one being a bugler from the Civil War. She said she had thought to herself how sad it was that most likely these veterans no longer had family to decorate their graves for Christmas. With that, Rambis adopted the cemetery in 2017 and decided to start participating in Wreaths Across America.
Wreaths Across America’s mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach the generation the value of freedom. In their first year of participation, Fortville had 17 wreaths.
At the event last year, there were roughly more than 200 wreaths. This year, with the help of many, they were able to raise 816 wreaths — one for every veteran in the cemetery.
Tom Bunnell from Fortville’s VFW post has been involved since 2006 and currently works on the house committee, helping organize events such as Wreaths Across America at the Fortville location.
Bunnell said that with this event, all locations participating across the country started their ceremony at noon on Dec. 16, and afterward went into the process of laying a wreath on each grave and saying the veteran’s name.
“As long as the name is continued to be spoken, they’re not forgotten,” Bunnell said.
Anthony Buechler, member of Fortville’s VFW for approximately five years, and Terry Tabb, member of the VFW post since 1969, also both attended Saturday’s event and have been since the VFW has been involved in 2018.
Buechler said that he is working with Vernon Township to help expand this event in the future to hopefully be able to put wreaths on veteran graves at the four historical cemeteries in Fortville.
Tabb and Bunnell said that they were able to hit the 800 wreaths goal this year with the help from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), from Anderson and Fort Ben Composite Squadron.
Bunnell shared that the VFW has been doing memorial flags on graves every year, but by adding this ceremony and event, it allows another day to honor and celebrate veterans.
One volunteer that has been participating in Wreaths Across America for a total of 15 years is Cassi Schmitt, who was with her daughter, Kate, and father and Vietnam veteran, Bernie, alongside many others. This was their fifth year participating at the Fortville location.
Bernie, a veteran himself, said he does this every year to pay his respects, and that he thinks the world of the military.
Cassi said that they have been participating in this event because they believe it is important to honor all those who have served, including her father and grandfathers.
“It’s a way to give back and say thank you to them for everything they’ve did for us,” Cassi said.
The ceremony consisted of the announcement that the goal of 800 wreaths was met, and CAP did a presentation of their Color Guard. Afterwards, groups of multiples took clipboards in their hands and scattered across the cemetery to get to work, laying down one wreath at a time and honoring those who risked their lives.
“To continue to honor them (veterans) after they’ve passed,” Bunnell said. “And hopefully someday, we pass this along and educate the youth that we will be honored when it is our time as well.”
Now through Jan. 16, Wreaths Across America is having a special for next year’s event where if someone is to donate for one wreath, the second wreath donation is free. For more information on Wreaths Across America or to donate, visit https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/43219/Overview/?relatedId=0.
