Posted on 11/17/2020 11:18:57 AM PST by Kaslin
Yesterday Arlington National Cemetery announced the cancelation of Wreaths Across America, an annual and volunteer based tradition, due to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.
"Due to the current COVID-19 situation across the nation and within the National Capital Region, it is with great regret that Arlington National Cemetery is canceling Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home Cemetery on December 19, 2020," a press release states. "Following a thorough analysis of the annual Wreaths Across America Wreaths-In event this year, and in close collaboration with the Joint Task Force, National Capital Region, we determined that we could not implement sufficient controls to mitigate the risks associated with hosting an event of this size under current and forecasted infection and transmission rates, while still conducting a respectful and honorable public event."
Those in charge of the decision said it was not made lightly.
“We did not make this decision lightly. Despite the controls developed to disperse potential crowds in time and space, and required personal safety protocols, we determined that hosting any event of this scale risked compromising our ability to accomplish our core mission of laying veterans and their eligible family members to rest,” Executive Director, Office of Army National Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery Karen Durham-Aguilera said. “We reviewed various options to safely execute this long standing event and held numerous consultations with WAA leadership and local government and public health officials. We understand that although this is disappointing for so many, we could no longer envision a way to safely accommodate the large number of visitors we typically host during this event.”
Due to the current COVID-19 situation across the nation and within the NCR, it is with great regret that ANC is cancelling Wreaths Across America at ANC and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home Cemetery on Dec. 19, 2020.Please read the full press release at: https://t.co/b6EEqpsmRh — Arlington National Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) November 16, 2020
Former Navy SEAL and Congressman Dan Crenshaw is calling for the decision to be reversed.
This decision to cancel #wreathsacrossamerica must be reversed immediately. Critical thinking must win out over emotion. Large areas, outside and well spaced, with masks on, is perfectly safe. Our fallen deserve to be remembered.RT if you agree and support #RememberHonorTeach https://t.co/ddWVp5vs2g — Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) November 17, 2020
Gold Star Mother Karen Vaughn, whose son Aaron Vaughn is buried in Arlington, is calling the move absurd. Vaughn was killed nearly ten years ago in Afghanistan after his Chinook helicopter was shot down. Other families are also weighing in.
WOW! This is ABSURD. How dare you. Signed, the mom of a man BURIED there! https://t.co/Vk3ThF73JQ — Karen Vaughn (@KarenVaughn_GSM) November 16, 2020
My brother is in Section 60. He was killed in Afghanistan just before Christmas. He sacrificed his life for this country. This is the one event that has brought comfort to our family- and so many others. Unacceptable. People live too much in fear. — Renee Nickell???? (@RMNickell) November 17, 2020
Disgusting. Because wearing masks and keeping social distancing is that hard? What about when our fallen had to storm the beaches in Normandy, or walk through the flooded rainforests of Vietnam? Being blown up by an IED in Iraq? And we can’t even honor them for that. — Mitchell Zabel (@mitchzabel) November 17, 2020
Are they afraid the dead would get the virus?
President Trump will override this.
Yes.
NOW who’s disrepecting fallen soldiers????
Due to Covid-19 ...
What are the masks here for then?
Masks only work when the Left wants them to work, and they don’t work when the Left doesn’t want them to work.
This shit has gone too far. It will only get worse if the Pretender is inaugurated.
Denigrating anything we hold dear is a big part of gaining control over our life. The communists have to destroy our traditions, i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, sports, etc. and isolate us from our support, i.e. family, friends, co-workers, church.
“Following a thorough analysis of the annual Wreaths Across America Wreaths-In event this year, and in close collaboration with the Joint Task Force, National Capital Region, we determined that we could not implement sufficient controls to mitigate the risks associated with hosting an event of this size under current and forecasted infection and transmission rates, while still conducting a respectful and honorable public event.”
sooo...the guys who hit the beaches at Omaha get no wreaths because the military’s Joint Task Force Natl Capitol Region is afraid of/can’t figure out how to handle a virus. Here you go poofs...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54971650
Protest
Covid is now the Left’s bludgeon to be used to kill anything they don’t like; attending church, Thanksgiving, Christmas, placing wreaths in cemeteries.
Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that is separate and distinct from Arlington National Cemetery. The executive director of WAA is Karen (of course) Worcester.
Are there any Freeper lawyers and accountants out there who have the know-how to get an alternative organization up and running quickly? WAA should simply be run out of existence and replaced with an organization managed by people who give a damn.
Wife will be greatly ticked off if they cancel WaA at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery here in NC.
Her Dad is there and she’s been placing wreaths ever since they started.
Safer doing that than going to Food Lion.
Pure idiocy.
The thugs with blm and antifa can riot all they want to, no mask no problem, but these uselesss fartblossoms want to stop the wreath laying this winter.
Outside, looks to me like around 6 feet apart...what’s the problem?
The CCP Virus is the REAL "Cancel culture".
Arlington National Cemetery, an American treasure and a symbol of how we honor those who made and protected America, is also another government bureaucracy.
About 30 years ago, I was tasked to inquire of Arlington what provisions they had for the first few Reservists and National Guard fatalities in the ensuing Gulf War.
Astonishingly, the first two staff (civilian employees)I talked to said they were not eligible because they were not active duty deaths.
They were being killed in combat, yet these people were not aware of that possibility - that a reservist can be called to duty!
I had to get a high ranking supervisor to educate these people.
But a few years later, these same bureaucrats were letting an unqualified Clinton crony to be buried at Arlington (since exhumed after public protest).
In process is a new plan to severely limit future Arlington burials to a very few (Medal of Honor, combat death, Puple Heart, AND CERTAIN POLITICIANS!. Their excuse - “to keep the cemetery from filling up in 2050”.
So much for all those Vietnam vets who slugged it out but were fortunate to not get the Golden Bebee. Guess they weren’t consider part of the war.
Now this on the Wreaths (UPDATE: just rescinded after public pressure.)
Fix bayonets.
"The Army on Tuesday announced that it had instructed the Arlington National Cemetery to host the Wreaths Across America Day event honoring fallen veterans after an announcement Monday evening resulted in backlash over the event's cancellation due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Outside, looks to me like around 6 feet apart...what’s the problem?”
Yeah, and all the graves are located outdoors, unless in a mausoleum.
Once again, patriotism is found solely on the political right. They had better guard those flag-draped graves closely.
I’d love to read, “enraged Tomb guard beats Antifa vandal to death with the butt of his rifle”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.