December 5, 2025 3:40 a.m.  

Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice issued a proclamation on Wednesday, during their weekly business meeting, calling upon all citizens of the county to observe Wreaths Across America Day, in celebration of the annual Wreaths Across America event taking place on Saturday, December 13th.

A county release said the mission of the event is to “REMEMBER the Fallen, HONOR Those Who Serve and TEACH Out Children the Value of Freedom”, with the laying of wreaths on veteran’s graves on the second or third Saturday of December each year. The commissioners are honored to support the event, especially the efforts of the local community in placing wreaths on veteran’s graves at the Roseburg National Cemetery.

The release said this year’s ceremony honors the legacy of United States Air Force Veteran, John Pierson, whose passion project to ensure every veteran’s grave at our Roseburg National Cemetery receives a wreath every year ignited a local movement. In his memory, this year’s local event has officially been named the John Pierson Memorial Wreaths Across America Event.

Commissioner Boice thanked a long list of local sponsors who have made the purchasing and laying of the 7,000 wreaths an annual tradition and legacy project in Roseburg. He then presented the attending title sponsors with a photo book from the 2024 local Wreaths Across America event and a specially designed Douglas County Wreaths Across America coin.

The John Pierson Memorial Wreaths Across America Event will take place on Saturday, December 13th at the Roseburg National Cemetery starting at 1:00 p.m. Sign up to volunteer or purchase a wreath for the 2026 ceremony at: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/17097.

A copy of the proclamation presentation can be found on the Douglas County Government Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment