Press Release

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA STOPS AT UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

NOTE TO EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Media who wish to cover this event on Dec. 9th should contact the USNA Public Affairs Office NLT noon, Thursday, Dec. 8.

ANNAPOLIS, Md..Wreaths Across America (WAA) will stop at the United States Naval Academy for a wreath laying ceremony honoring veterans at the Naval Academy cemetery on Friday, Dec. 9 at 2:30 p.m.

The founders of WAA, Mr. and Mrs. Worcester and several decorated veterans, family members and volunteers traveling with the WAA convoy will honor Naval Academy graduates by laying a ceremonial wreath and approximately 300 wreaths on gravesites at the Naval Academy cemetery. The Naval Academy is new this year to the many cemeteries and stops during WAA.s annual journey from Harrington, Maine to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

This year's journey, known as the world's largest veteran's parade, will begin Sunday, Dec. 6 and end Saturday, Dec. 10. The primary Wreaths Across America (WAA) event is the placing of wreaths in Arlington National Cemetery and more than 570 locations worldwide, on Saturday, December 10th. All ceremonies will begin at noon, EST. More than 500,000 wreaths will be placed by more than 175,000 volunteers. As part of the large WAA campaign, volunteers from Fort Meade and Anne Arundel county will be placing more than 600 wreaths in the Annapolis National Cemetery on December 10th. The public is also invited to join WAA in Arlington, or their local Veterans Cemetery.

Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization with the mission "Remember, Honor, Teach." With the help of sponsors, donors and volunteers WAA continues the annual tribute of laying wreaths in veteran cemeteries across the United States. WAA is dedicated to spreading their message about the importance of remembering our fallen heroes, honoring those who serve, and teaching our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms.

For more information about Wreaths Across America, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

USNA

Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy today is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally and physically to be professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body, known as the Brigade of Midshipmen. Midshipmen learn from military and civilian instructors and participate in intercollegiate varsity sports and extracurricular activities. They also study subjects like small arms, drill, seamanship and navigation, tactics, naval engineering and weapons, leadership, ethics and military law. Upon graduation, midshipmen earn a tax-payer funded Bachelor of Science degree in a choice of 23 different subject majors and go on to serve at least five years of exciting and rewarding service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.