A day of remembrance, honor, and teaching is coming to town as the Harry R. Bartlett American Legion Post 89 will lead East Haven’s Wreaths Across America ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Based in Maine, Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization whose mission is to memorialize and give respect to those who served the country as a member of its armed forces. Through the national day of wreath-laying, a teachable moment is an experience for people to understand the value of the service and sacrifice of those committed to protecting the enjoyed American freedoms and liberties.

This year will mark the second time Post 89 has participated in the program, coinciding with its centennial year as a chapter of the American Legion. The 2022 theme for Wreaths Across America is “Find a Way to Serve,” which speaks to the opportunities many, including younger people, can assume to support veterans and those currently in service, and continuously strive to learn about their contributions to maintaining American ideals.

“We honor those who serve or who served by helping them in a variety of different ways: advocacy, support, assistance with whatever their needs may be,” said Wendy Bellmore, the chaplain of Post 89 and a veteran of the Army Nurse Corps. “We also focus to work with youth, to help understand citizenship, respect for flag and country. Every one of us finds a different way to potentially serve.”

As part of the event, volunteer participants will gather at the Veterans Memorial on the Town Green for a ceremony. From there, volunteers will walk to East Lawn and Greenlawn cemeteries, where wreaths will be laid on the stones of those being honored.

According to Bellmore, it's not hard to find volunteers in the community to help with efforts like the Wreaths Across America wreath-laying.

“As a community, East Haven has a tremendous amount of volunteers: people who step without any kind of hesitation to help with the Food Pantry, a toy drive, or a variety of events that may take place,” she said. “The community’s small, but it likes to come out in assistance and service for a variety of different things.”

Bellmore continued with the organization’s impact on all veterans communities across the country like East Haven’s and families with loved ones who served or are now serving.

“One of the things we love about ‘Wreaths Across America’ is that it’s a national event that has [a] local impact. Not only are we able to understand and know, and be appreciative of the work that gets done to lay wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery, we also understand that at the same time, we’re laying wreaths at our cemeteries.”

The national event is a chance for residents, including children and grandchildren of individuals formerly or currently in armed services, to learn about “the civics of patriotism and the importance of being a community,” and to pass down historic stories of military service, according to Bellmore.

“What we find when we walk in the cemetery, it’s like walking through history. You look down at a stone, and you see this person had a Purple Heart. [You ask], ‘What happened to this individual?’ Living in New England, we have some very old stones in our cemeteries. We have volunteers which would have extended to Revolutionary times,” she said.

Bellmore said Post 89’s volunteer participation in the event should allow for others who wish to join them in the ceremony to feel a harmonious sense of community and provide a safe space for families to exchange stories of loved ones who were once or who are now members of the U.S. military.

“It just broadens the opportunity for people to be in partnership in honoring service members,” she said. “And important, to feel comfortable in sharing whatever stories they have. It’s not unusual for people to stop and say, ‘I’m so glad you’re doing this. My uncle served here, or my grandfather.’ And then they feel comfortable talking about it and maybe asking their own questions about how they’d like to add to their genealogy.”

Post 89 encourages people to volunteer in the community event and to be a part of the mission of Wreaths Across America.

Bellmore reflected on the longevity of Post 89 in regards to its participation in the event and its position as a place for the camaraderie of veterans and their loved ones, along with its service to the community and its members.

“Just the fact that after 100 years, it’s still strong and it’s still focused on its mission of service to veterans, veteran’s families, and youth.”