2021 HWS EVENT DIRECTIONS:

ALBERT G. HORTON JR. MEMORIAL VETERANS CEMETERY WREATH LAYING EVENT IS STILL HAPPENING! Last year’s Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery was a most challenging event during the Pandemic.

The 2021 Wreath Laying event has been modified to ensure success. This year’s event will, once again, not have a formal HWS ceremony but Wreaths Across America will be conducting a modified ceremony at 12:00 noon on location at the Committal Shelter.

We will not be able to have the wreath laying open to the general public, but, will again, use the signup system and shifts so volunteers may register to come directly to the cemetery and help lay wreaths. You must be pre-registered in order to park on the cemetery grounds. We will be making Friday, December 17, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, available for Red Flag families to come and lay their wreaths at their convenience. Saturday, December 18, Red Flag families may also visit between 9:30 and 11:00 AM.

The pre-registered public may attend on Saturday, December 18, to help lay wreaths. Please remember not to place a wreath on headstones that have a “Red Flag” prior to 11:00 AM, as those are reserved for family members. If you wish to volunteer, we will have two shifts for our “Sign-Up Genius” at the appropriate time to register. The shifts will be from 9:30 to 10:30 AM and then 10:30 to 11:30 AM. We are allowing 250 vehicles per shift with max capacity of volunteers able to fit into those vehicles during the shifts until all wreaths are laid. A separate email will be sent out to those registered volunteers for Saturday identifying which group you have been assigned. Buses will not be operating and onsite parking is severely limited.

ALL: A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT IF THE CEMETERY REACHES FULL PARKING CAPACITY ON DECEMBER 18, YOU MAY BE POLITELY ASKED TO COME BACK AFTER THE EVENT IS OVER. ANYTIME AFTER 1:00 PM 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 volunteer guests:

Wednesday, December 15, 2021: Army National Guard Armory: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: 2761 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23434.

• We receive the wreaths this day. One hundred volunteers are required to assist with unloading boxes of wreaths from the delivery truck and taking them out of the boxes. The volunteers will be segregated into separate working groups, which will be coordinated on-site that day. Everyone is encouraged to bring “Face Coverings” and are optional dependent upon if they have had the vaccination and, if possible, work gloves. Volunteers must register on the Sign-Up Genius link posted on our website (https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org) if you desire to participate. (Only 100 volunteers will be accepted).

Thursday, December 16, 2021: Army National Guard Armory: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM or until complete: 2761 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23434.

• This day we continue to load the wreaths 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. One hundred volunteers are needed to assist with loading the wreaths onto the trailers. Everyone is encouraged to bring “Face Coverings” and are optional dependent upon if they have had the vaccination and if possible work gloves. Volunteers must sign up on the Sign-Up Genius link posted on our website (https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org) if they desire to participate. (Only 100 volunteers will be accepted).

Friday 17 December 2021:

“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 2021 are asked to reconfirm.

Red Flag Family members and their loved ones may arrive at the Cemetery on Friday, December 17, 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 one’s 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 2022 at the check-in desk the day of adornment or on our website. https://www.hortonwreathsociety.org

Saturday, December 18, 2021:

Red Flag Family members and their loved ones may arrive at the Cemetery on December 18, between the hours of 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM (No registration required). You will be given directions where to park as you enter the main entrance. Once parked, you will go to the closest truck with wreaths 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 one’s 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 9:30 AM for all of the general public volunteers. All volunteers at the two identified time slots are allowed to help adorn all gravesites and columbarium rows. Those volunteers that previously signed up on our “Sign-Up Genius” will be segregated into two groups for time slots 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM and 10:30 AM to11:30 AM or until completion. We will be sending out a separate email through our system in order to inform you which group you are assigned. “Face Coverings” are optional and a personal choice if you have had the vaccination and, if possible, bring 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.

There are still available time slots to assist the Horton Wreath Society on Wednesday and Thursday, December 15 and 16, for those wanting to unload and re-load the wreaths into the trucks 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.j.yarbrough3.civ@us.navy.mil or Roxycoon@yahoo.com