December 5, 2024 10:00 a.m.
On Wednesday, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation at their weekly business meeting calling upon all residents to observe Wreaths Across America Day, in celebration of the annual Wreaths Across America event on Saturday December 14th.
A county release said the mission of Wreaths Across America is to: Remember the Fallen, Honor Those Who Serve, and Teach Our Children the Value of Freedom, with the laying of remembrance Christmas wreaths on veterans’ graves on the second or third Saturday or each year.
The proclamation was issued by Commissioner Chris Boice and acknowledged, “We thank our local 2024 Wreaths Across America co-location coordinators, Shelley Johnson and the late John Pierson, who represent the Roseburg Sea Cadets and Military Honors by the Pipes. In December 2023, John inspired the Douglas County Commissioners to help with his dream of laying a wreath on all 7,000 veteran graves at the Roseburg National Cemetery in 2024”. Boice said, “A feat that had never been accomplished before in Roseburg. John’s story would not only inspire our commissioners, but our entire community”.
Commissioner Tim Freeman said, “For those of you that don’t know it was John’s dream to get those 7,000 headstones with a wreath in front of each one for the 2024 event. Commissioner Chris Boice took on that task and has spent the last year coordinating that mission”. Freeman said, “The annual laying of wreaths on veteran’s graves started in Roseburg in 1996 with Linda and Terry Mooney and the Patriot Guard”.
Commissioner Freeman presented proclamation certificates to a long list of supporters of the annual event. The presentation was followed by the playing of a prerecorded video featuring the late Joh Pierson, Wreaths Across America – Douglas County Co-Location Coordinator.
The Wreaths Across America – Douglas County ceremony will take place on December 14th at the Roseburg National Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. Sign up to volunteer or purchase a wreath for the 2025 ceremony at: www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/17097
A copy of the proclamation presentation can be found on the Douglas County government Facebook page: https://douglascountyor.gov/