[Verginius Rufus]

I attended a local Wreaths Across America event this morning--very well done, moving ceremony. There were several women with Gold Star Wives caps on. This year was their best effort to date--enough wreaths for 90% of the veterans buried there (not a national cemetery). 150+ people in attendance. But apart from a couple of the Gold Star Wives, no black adults (a few black children). There are many black veterans and military families in the area so they need to get the word out about the event.

There was a 99-year-old WWII/Korean War veteran who took part in the ceremony--you would have thought he was 20 years younger.

[cyclotic]

There were about 100 people at ours in Maryland. I think they had about 500 wreaths.

Our youth organization sells wreaths and gets to keep a small part of the sale. We really enjoy being able to serve and participate.

The local Civil Air Patrol unit has a flag ceremony and a couple short readings. They ask veterans of each branch to step forward as someone places a wreath honoring their branch then we go place wreaths. They honor Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.

The crowd was low this year. Heavy rain kept a few home, probably the elderly and very young.