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Wreaths Across America will be honoring fallen veterans throughout the area tomorrow (Dec. 15).
These events for Sussex County will take place in Newton, Sparta, Sussex, Wantage and Vernon. An inaugural event will be hosted by the Hackettstown Elks.
If you're wondering what Wreath Across America does, the tradition began back in 1992 when wreath maker, Morrill Worcester, from Maine donated five thousand wreaths to the Arlington Cemetery. Ever since then, the tradition has continued and expanded each year.
One million balsam wreaths have been sent aboard tractor-trailer from Maine to the Arlington National Cemetery, which is where more than 400 thousand active duty U.S. service members, veterans and their families lay to rest.
According to Wreaths Across America, this tradition was done on the down low for 12 years, before photos of snow covered graves with wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery began to surface the internet. From gaining this attention, the project now includes states and local cemeteries across the nation.
Each fall, the wreaths are collected by donation and placed on the graves of veterans in December, known as Wreaths Across America Day.
For info on when the wreaths will be placed on graves in our nearby cemeteries, visit the NJ Herald's page here.