HWS WEBPAGE & FACEBOOK COVID-19 EVENT DIRECTIONS:

ALBERT G. HORTON JR. MEMORIAL VETERANS CEMETERY WREATH LAYING EVENT IS STILL HAPPENING! Governor Northam announced his modified restrictions for the state of Virginia on 13 November due to high COVID-19 spikes across the state; we have been given permission from the Department of Veterans Services (Cemeteries Department) to continue our mission with a modified plan different from originally advertised.

The 2020 Wreath Laying event has been modified on Saturday the 19th of December to only allow those persons that have already signed up on our “Genius Sign-Up” sheet, segregated into two groups with time slots of 07:00-09:00 and 09:00-11:00 or until we have completed laying the wreaths. A separate email will be sent out to all that registered for Saturday identifying which group you have been assigned. Again, buses will not be operating and onsite parking is severely limited. Please consider carpooling in order to complete the mission of adorning approximately 10,800 gravesites of our fallen heroes with wreaths.

ALL, A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT IF THE CEMETERY REACHES FULL PARKING CAPACITY 19 DECEMBER, THERE IS A CHANCE YOU WILL BE POLITELY ASKED TO COME BACK AFTER THE EVENT IS OVER. ANYTIME AFTER 1PM SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT OR THE DAYS FOLLOWING. PLEASE TRY TO ATTEMPT TO UTILIZE “CAR POOLING” TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE AND FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED!

The following is provided for all our voluntary guests:

Wednesday 16 December 2020: Army National Guard Armory: 0900 – 1600: 2761 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23434.

• We receive the total amount of wreaths this day. We require 50 volunteers to come out at the above address and assist with unloading boxes of wreaths from the delivery truck and taking them out of the boxes. The total volunteers will be segregated into separate working groups, which we will coordinate on site the day of work. All personnel are required to bring “Face Coverings” and if possible work gloves. Volunteers are requested to sign up on the Sign-Up Genius link posted on our website (https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org) if they desire to participate. (Only 50 volunteers will be accepted).

Thursday 17 December 2020: Army National Guard Armory: 0800 – 1600 or until complete: 2761 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23434.

• This day we continue to load the total amount of wreaths received onto volunteer Fed-Ex trucks in order to stage them at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery prior to the event’s beginning. We also require 50 volunteers to come out at the above address and assist with loading the wreaths on to our pre-staged trailers. All personnel are required to bring “Face Coverings” and if possible work gloves. Volunteers are requested to sign up on the Sign-Up Genius link posted on our website (https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org) if they desire to participate. (Only 50 volunteers will be accepted).

Friday 18 December 2020:

“RED FLAG PROGRAM”

The Red Flag program will be in full effect. Families are strongly encouraged to reserve wreath requests on our website as soon as possible. Those that have already registered for 2020 are asked to reconfirm.

Red Flag Family members and their loved ones may arrive at the Cemetery on Friday, 18 December, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. You will be given directions where to park as you enter the main entrance to ensure not to interfere with the ongoing cemetery operations. The “Red Flag” tent will be on the corner just past the entrance. Once parked you will go to the tent, provide your name and member that is interred and a wreath will be provided to you for your family member or loved one on the spot. You will then proceed to your loved ones gravesite and place your wreath and pick up the red flag to return to one of our staff members at the tent.

You may also place additional wreaths on other gravesites of our fallen if desired.

You are strongly encouraged to register for 2021 at the check-in desk the day of adornment or on our website. https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org

Saturday 19 December 2020:

Red Flag Family members and their loved ones may arrive at the Cemetery on 19 December, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 10:30 AM (No registration required). You will be given directions where to park as you enter the main entrance. The “Red Flag” tent will be on the corner just past the entrance. Once parked you will go to the tent, provide your name and member that is interred and a wreath will be provided to you for your family member or loved one on the spot. You will then proceed to your loved ones gravesite and place your wreath and pick up the red flag to return to one of our staff members at the tent.

We will begin the wreath laying event starting at 8:00 A.M for all of the general public volunteers. We are only allowed 100 volunteers at the two identified time slots to come out and help adorn all gravesites and columbarium rows. Those 200 volunteers that previously signed up on our “Sign-Up Genius” will be segregated into two groups of 100 for time slots 07:00 AM to 09:00 AM and 09:00 AM to11:00AM or until completion. We will be sending out a separate email through our system in order to inform you which group you will be placed. All personnel are required to bring “Face Coverings” and if possible work gloves.

Parking will be on the premises arriving through the front entrance of the cemetery. You will be guided to a parking location by one of the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery Grounds Crew. Please do not park on the grass. All trucks will be staged, similar to the previous year’s staging with Teams distributing the wreaths.

There will be a small ceremony at 12:00 PM presented by Wreaths Across America hosted by the Virginia Wing, Civil Air Patrol at the Committal Shelter. A virtual link will be forthcoming.

There are still available time slots to assist the Horton Wreath Society on Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th of December working to unload and re-load the wreaths into our volunteer truck at the Army Nation Guard Armory. The Sign-Up Genius link is available on our website for all volunteers to register for the days they would like to help!

Sign-Up Genius link: click here

For more information on the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony, monthly meetings, events and Horton Wreath Society, please visit us at: https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org or on Facebook.

President: Mike Yarbrough (Email) michael.yarbrough@navy.mil or Roxycoon@yahoo.com

1st Vice President Gerry Soucheray (Email) Gerald.O.Soucheray@uscg.mil or Souchmkcg@aol.com