Courtesy of Wreaths Across America.
Have you ever wanted to honor our servicemen but not known how to go about it? There is an opportunity to do so on December 14 in the nearest national cemetery to Charleston.
Wreaths Across America’s goal is to place an evergreen wreath on every grave in a national cemetery, turning the beautiful, hallowed ground into an amazing holiday tribute. Decorating every grave is a hefty undertaking, seeing that there are over 26,000 graves in Beaufort National Cemetery alone. Nationally, the National Cemetery Administration maintains upward of 3.8 million graves.
A sponsor group can turn two wreaths purchased into three wreaths placed. As of this writing, 35% of the funding goal has been achieved for the Beaufort location. The site wreathsacrossamerica.org is the place to make your donation work as a tribute to our fallen service community. Volunteers are also needed to place wreaths on the graves, and service groups, families and individuals are all welcome. If you have a person you’d like to honor or locate, you can use the Beaufort National Cemetery’s website “grave locator” tab to find the location of a specific grave.
Located on Port Royal island, early interments were of soldiers who died in Union hospitals during the occupation of Beaufort in the Civil War. As time progressed, hastily interred men from other areas of South Carolina were brought to the site. And so, the Confederates lie side by side with their Union counterparts, at peace between them at last.
The cemetery is distinctly laid out in a half-wagon-wheel pattern, interspersed with ancient live oaks which have outlived those resting below and withstood centuries of hurricanes. The grounds are surrounded by brick walls with a rounded coping, and the gates of wrought iron allow a peek into the serene resting place as you drive by on the main artery into downtown.
The cemetery is a living garden as subsequent interments bear witness. Fascinating stories are memorialized on the markers. Especially with the wreaths in place, it is a very beautiful and inspiring place for a day trip, even if you cannot attend the ceremony this year.
“Thinking locally,” the Kiawah Island Naturalist Group is a sponsor group of the wreaths and will be laying wreaths on December 14. Plan to be in place by 11 a.m. to witness the Honor Guard of motorcycles from Walterboro that accompany the trucks bringing the wreaths made in New England.
Ceremonies by service members from all branches will follow. The Beaufort National Cemetery is located at 1601 Boundary St., Beaufort, SC. Everyone is welcome, but please note, no dogs are allowed in national cemeteries. Visit wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information.
