HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- Six vehicles recently delivered wreaths from Hot Springs Village to the Little Rock National Cemetery. The wreaths, approximately 550, were placed on the graves of unknown Confederate soldiers. The wreaths were placed by several people, including Jessieville students Maddie and Bryna Mathis.
Wreaths will be placed, following a ceremony of dedication, on the remaining graves of unknown soldiers, approximately 2,100, at 10 a.m. Monday. These unknown soldiers include Union soldiers, soldiers from the Spanish American War and one from World Ware II. Volunteers are needed to help place the wreaths.
"Wreaths for Heroes" at the LRNC is the project of Mary Ellen Laursen, president of Baseline-Meridian Chapter, United States Daughters of 1812. In addition to individual donations, she has received donations from several lineage societies and a large donation from the Walton Family Foundation. Three years ago, after noticing the cemetery did not have any wreaths on graves, other than a few placed by family members, Laursen set out to bring attention to the almost 3,000 unknown soldiers' graves who had no family to remember them and who had been seemingly forgotten. Laursen has donated the wreaths to the Central Arkansas Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services, but retains the responsibility of placing, pick-up and storing of the wreaths with the assistance of the Arkansas National Guard.
Wreaths for Heroes is not to be confused with "Wreaths Across America" which was started by Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The "Wreaths Across America" ceremony will be held on at 11 a.m. Dec. 16.
There are approximately 25,000 soldiers buried at LRNC and the cemetery is now closed for internments.
For information regarding the Wreaths for Heroes project, call Laursen at 922-4802.
Society on 12/03/2017