Remembering Pearl Harbor: 74 years later
Wreaths Across America is a program that places fresh wreaths on each grave in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
For the second year, Delaware is participating by honoring the United States armed forces with a local ceremony but Monday’s ceremony was especially significant considering it was also the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
At the ceremony, special holiday wreaths adorned four memorials at Legislative Hall in Dover including: the Dover Light Infantry, Gulf War, Medal Of Honor, and World War II memorials.
Veterans, including William Farley, were assisted with laying the wreaths by students from Holy Cross Elementary.
Farley tells 47 ABC it meant so much to see so many members of the community come out and show their support. He says that encouragement is especially needed now in light of recent acts of terror.
“The thing is…today’s children are being impacted by the events that are taking place now, so it’s important that they know the history of our country and how it is that we got to where we are and how those who would attack us now.” Explains Farley.
Farley retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1992 after serving for twenty-eight years and now serves as Vice-Chairman of the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs.
He tells 47 ABC holding the local Wreaths Across America ceremony on Monday this year was even more appropriate, given the 74th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks which killed 2,403 Americans and injured 1,178 in 1941.
While World War II was well past his time in service, Farley says December 7th is a date his family holds close to heart.
“We had an uncle who was already in the army who had been planning on coming home for Christmas and his leave was supposed to have started on the seventh of December, and so he didn’t come home until 1945 because of the war.” He says.
This is only the second year Delaware has participated in Wreaths Across America but this new tradition, according to the Delaware Veterans Coalition, is one worth keeping.
Coalition president David Skocik says “Fewer than 1% of people in this country actually wear the uniform that kind of take care of all of the rest of us and we think that’s really important.”
Trucks from Wreaths Across America left Maine Monday and are expected to arrive in Arlington on Saturday.
Overall, they’re expecting to ship more than 90,000 wreaths to adorn graves in hundreds of locations across the U.S. and overseas.
