Cold and rainy weather did not deter cadets from Effingham County High School Air Force JROTC from participating in an annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Glennville. This was the fifth consecutive year cadets helped honor deceased veterans by being a part of the 45-minute ceremony, held indoors due do the weather, and then helping place wreaths on more than 500 veterans’ graves.
The event, sponsored by the Bonaventure Society, Children of American Revolution (CAR), drew a crowd of more than 200 people from all parts of southern and middle Georgia. Funds for the wreaths were donated during the past year by scores of businesses, families, and individuals.
The ECHS AF JROTC color guard helped start the ceremony by presenting the colors for the pledge of allegiance and national anthem.
During the ceremony, individual cadets placed a wreath representing each of the military services and POWs/MIAs one at a time at the front of the chapel. After several members of CAR spoke, those in attendance were encouraged to express their thoughts and sentiments to the audience. At the end of the ceremony a trumpeter played “Taps” as a final tribute.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, those in attendance were asked to help place a wreath on each grave site. With more than 500 graves at the cemetery, it took almost half an hour to carefully place a wreath on each one. Despite the weather, the cadets enjoyed the over hour-long trip there and back to help ensure the success of this noble annual event.