'We are all proud to be Americans'

[totalmotorcycle]

'We are all proud to be Americans'
Friday, December 15, 2006 - By KIM SMITH STAFF WRITER - The Herald News - suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews



ELWOOD -- It started out with a minute of silence to remember the fallen, the prisoners of war, the missing in action and to honor those who have served and are serving this great nation in the armed services.

It ended with a prayer.

Hundreds attended the first Wreaths Across America ceremony held Thursday at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. The cemetery was one of about 200 state and national veterans cemeteries to participate in simultaneous ceremonies at 11 a.m.

"We are gathered here today at this memorial site and memorial sites all across American to remember that we are one nation with one flag," said Skip Hermann, a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders and the Wounded Heroes Foundation. Hermann spearheaded the effort to bring the national event to the cemetery. "We are all proud to be Americans who live in a free society, made up of many people, with many races from many walks of life. The freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price."

The Patriot Guard Riders is a motorcycle group dedicated to honoring fallen veterans and protecting veterans' families from protesters during funeral services. They formed in October 2005 and have rapidly grown from a grassroots effort in Kansas to a nationwide organization.

Hermann learned about the movement after a call went out on the group's Web site. He said volunteers from all over the country agreed to help out in minutes. He picked the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery because he has an uncle buried there and often enjoys riding his motorcycle there.


Wreaths origins
Wreaths Across America began 15 years ago when Morrill Worcester, president of the Worcester Wreath Co. in Maine, started donating 5,000 handmade wreaths to adorn the headstones at Arlington National Cemetery.

The company also donates 1,500 wreaths a year to Togus National Cemetery, also in Maine.

The wreath company was looking for a way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their program when they decided to expand the program to include all 230 veterans cemeteries in the United States. They asked the Civil Air Patrol, the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, for help. More than 50 wings participated in programs Thursday.

The company donated six wreaths that were given special places of honor at the Elwood cemetery for the holiday season. There was one for each of the five military branches -- Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard -- and one to represent prisoners of war and troops missing in action.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction," Hermann said. "We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

Brion Moore, acting cemetery director, officiated the ceremony. Many local military groups attended, including the John Whiteside and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Squads; members of the Wilmington VFW Post 5422 and its women's auxiliary; auxiliary members from VFW posts from New Lenox, Mokena, Joliet, Lockport and Mokena; and members of the Wounded Heroes Foundation and the Patriot Guard Riders.