Clarksville, TN – On Saturday, December 17th at the Riverview Cemetery, Clarksville citizens attended this 3rd annual Wreaths Across America ceremony.
Riverview is Clarksville’s oldest cemetery and it holds a veteran from every major branch of America’s military branch. Angie Sykes, Riverview cemetery manager, gave this information.
Clarksville’s Riverview cemetery currently has 340 service members at rest at this cemetery.
Wreaths Across America began as a quiet ceremony in 1992 with Morrill Worcester- now the owner of the Worcester Wreath co.- in 2005 this ceremony gained public attention and since has been a non-profit organization that holds ceremonies across America honoring America’s fallen soldiers.
This year 3,400 locations across America both land and sea, and even abroad honors December 16th as Wreaths Across America day.
From humble beginnings up until now, the Riverview Cemetery hopes to approve this ceremony each year.
“A lady from Fort Campbell reached out to us a couple of years ago and wanted to know why the Riverview wasn’t doing it. So I looked into it and said, ‘ Hey, we’re gonna get this thing started!” Sykes mentioned.
Of the 340 veterans buried today four are from the Revolutionary war. With this being one of the oldest cemeteries in Clarksville, Riverview Cemetery holds plenty of American and Clarksville history.
“We welcome the community to come anytime,” Sykes added.
Mayor Pitts and First Lady Cynthia Pitts were in attendance this morning for the ceremony.
“We join together in spirit with others all across our nation for the Wreaths Across America,” Minister Cynthia Pitts added, “Let us remember that every one of them that we honored here today are individuals.”
In the closing remarks of Sykes’s speech, she asks that those who participate in laying the wreaths take a moment to say the names of those that are now resting before laying the wreath.
During this ceremony, eight wreaths were hung to recognize the eight branches of service: Retired Sgt. Major Don McIntosh US Army veteran, Billy Page US Navy, James Richardson US Marine Corps, Edward Know US Air Force and US Space Force, William Welty Merchant Marine Corps, and US Coast Guard, and hanging the wreath in memory of those who served was Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts.
Next year’s ceremony will be held on December 17th, 2023.
