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NPS/Eric Leonard
Contact: Eric Leonard, 229 924-0343, ext. 201 ANDERSONVILLE, Georgia - Andersonville National Historic Site would like to invite you to join thousands of Americans to remember and honor our military veterans past and present by participating in the Wreaths Across America program. Sponsored wreaths will be laid on gravesites in National Cemeteries across the country, including Andersonville National Cemetery, on Saturday, December 15, 2012. The Civil Air Patrol will conduct this annual ceremony honoring America's armed forces in the Andersonville National Cemetery on December 15, 2012 at 12:00 PM; wreaths will be distributed throughout the cemetery immediately following. Wreaths Across America is a national program to not only honor those currently being buried, but also to remember the thousands of forgotten graves found in National Cemeteries. Each year the sections in which sponsored wreaths are placed are rotated to eventually include all veterans buried in the National Cemetery. For 2012 sponsored wreaths will be placed in Sections A and B, which contain burials dating from the Civil War to the early 1960s. If you, your family, organization, or business is interested in sponsoring one or more wreaths to be placed on a grave in the cemetery, you can learn more about the program and sponsor wreaths online at wreathsacrossamerica.org If you are interested in remembering a loved one or a specific grave in the cemetery, beginning December 1, 2012, wreaths and floral blankets no larger than 2 by 3 feet are permitted in the cemetery. Please contact your local florist to order an appropriate floral decoration. Wreaths should be brought in person, or delivered by a florist, directly to the gravesite. To find the location of a specific grave, please visit http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov "As always, we invite families to remember their loved ones by decorating their gravesites during the holiday season," says Brad Bennett, Superintendent of Andersonville National Historic Site, "For others who may not have a direct family connection, but wish to honor 'forgotten' veterans interred at Andersonville National Cemetery, the Wreaths Across America program and the Civil Air Patrol ceremony allow us to remember the many sacrifices made in service to our nation." Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Park grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with the museum opening at 9:00 a.m. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, visit on the web at www.nps.gov/ande/, or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov. |
Last updated: August 9, 2021