399th Composite Squadron Honors Veterans with Wreaths Across America

DANBURY, Conn. - Dec. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Civil Air Patrol’s 399th Composite Squadron, along with the Daughters of the American Revolution, Friends of Danbury Cemeteries, Greater Danbury Area Chapter Korean War Veterans and the 79th New York Volunteer Infantry Civil War reenactment unit, performed its sixth annual Wreaths Across America ceremony to honor veterans at two cemeteries in Danbury on December 13, 2014.

Officers and cadets escorted Representative Janice R. Giegler (138th District) and members of participating organizations to place a total of sixty wreaths on local veterans’ graves at Wooster Cemetery and Old Kenosia Cemetery. Wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves reaching back to the French and Indian Wars, but also included family members and friends who served. Ken Post (Korean War Veterans) placed a wreath on the grave of his great grandfather, Corporal Christian Post, who served in Company B, 5th U.S. Artillery during the Civil War. Another was placed on the grave of Staff Sergeant Oscar Taylor, a P51 mechanic who served in the United States Air Force in Japan from 1946-1950. One of the aircraft he maintained was named Miss Danbury.

Captain Ralph Langham (399th Composite Squadron), organizer of the event, said the ceremony is held simultaneously in over 1,000 cemeteries and memorial sites across the United States to pay tribute to the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Wreaths for the local ceremony were purchased by donations from Union Savings Bank, the Danbury Cemetery Association and Civil Air Patrol members. They are made by the Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine and delivered to participating locations by volunteer truck drivers.

Wreaths Across America endeavors to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The ceremony now takes place every year during the holidays to honor veterans at cemeteries nation-wide. The mission of Wreaths Across America is to “Remember the fallen; Honor those who serve; and Teach our children the value of freedom.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony Major Jim Vigar, Commander of the 399th, remarked “it is an honor and privilege to be here today to honor our veterans. They have given so much for the welfare of this country and we are humbled by their service.”

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans.

Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com

For local information visit www.facebook.com/399DanburyCAP