South Buxton Cemetery Association officials, from left, Superintendent Malcolm Washburn, Director Brent Hill and President Richard Atkinson are preparing for the cemetery’s Wreaths Across America observance Saturday, Dec. 18. Robert Lowell / American Journal
A bell will toll at Tory Hill Meetinghouse Dec. 18 to summons a solemn assembly at the South Buxton Cemetery for a Wreaths Across America observance honoring veterans.
In Westbrook, the local Rolling Thunder chapter will lead a wreath-laying ceremony at Woodlawn cemetery.
Mel Tukey, pictured here at the 2018 observance, will play “Taps” Saturday in a Wreath Across America ceremony in South Buxton Cemetery. File photo
The ceremonies, along with other observances across the nation, mark the arrival via a police-escorted convoy of thousands of Maine wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The wreath-laying at Arlington and at cemeteries nationwide is held annually in December to remember and honor veterans.
The South Buxton Cemetery Association will conducts its 15th annual Wreaths Across America ceremony in the Woodman section of the cemetery on River Road/Route 112 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Volunteers will place donated wreaths on more than 400 tombstones of veterans of wars dating back to the American Revolution.
“We’ll have a good crew show up,” said Richard “Sandy” Atkinson, cemetery association president.
Neither blizzards nor sub-zero temperatures have deterred the volunteers in the past, and they’re ready handle the truckload of wreaths arriving this week.
The ceremony will include a moment of silence at noon to coincide with one at Arlington National Cemetery, cemetery Superintendent Malcolm Washburn said.
Representatives from all military branches and Scouts will participate in the hourlong observance. Bugler Mel Tukey returns to play “Taps” and Travis Cote, bagpipes. The Rev. Todd Bell, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford, will say a prayer of remembrance. Buxton Selectman Chad Poitras will deliver opening remarks; Buxton state Rep. Nathan Carlow will be the keynote speaker; and Atkinson will provide closing remarks.
The ceremony will conclude with participants singing “Silent Night.”
For the Westbrook observance, the Rolling Thunder Inc. Maine Chapter 2 will gather at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Veterans Rest section of Woodlawn Cemetery on Stroudwater Street. The veteran’s motorcycle group will begin the ceremony with a moment of silence at 11:55. Mayor Mike Foley and Westbrook Veteran Service Officer Arty Ledoux will attend the event and the public is invited.
The Rolling Thunder chapter hopes to be able to lay wreaths at all city cemeteries in Westbrook in the coming years, it said on its Facebook page.
Local police are among those who have been escorting the wreaths to Arlington. Gorham Officers Dean Hannon and Michael Hinkley have been escorts for the entire route, and Sgts. Ted Hatch and Mike Coffin participated on the Maine route.
Westbrook Detective Sgt. Tim Gardner drove with the convoy through the Maine and New Hampshire legs of the journey.
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