WREATHS ACROSS CHATTANOOGA
The mission of Wreaths Across Chattanooga is to lay a wreath on the grave of each veteran laid to rest at Chattanooga National Cemetery during the month of December. For the year 2025, the date will be December 13th. Wreaths Across Chattanooga is an all-volunteer IRS 501c3 organization, with all donations used to purchase wreaths.
For the past two years, basically, a wreath has been placed on each grave at Chattanooga National Cemetery and there are approximately 49,000 graves. The wreaths are retired (removed) approximately 30 days after the December placement.
Thank you to our volunteers!
We could not do this without the generous donations of our communities, the amazing support of our major sponsor, Food City, and the tireless efforts of the volunteers.
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For the year 2025, the dates will be Friday, December 12th, for dedicated wreaths and the main wreath laying will be on Saturday, December 13th.
Background
Wreaths Across Chattanooga received its IRS 501c3 determination letter dated March 17, 2020. Prior to this, Wreaths Across Chattanooga was part of Wreaths Across America, however, the Wreaths Across America price per wreath kept increasing to where it was becoming a donor issue especially when wreaths reached $17.00. Wreaths Across Chattanooga reached out to a local supplier, Food City, who provided the wreaths at $10.00, plus the wreaths were fuller, larger at 22 inches, with a bright red bow.
Since Wreaths Across Chattanooga was at one time part of Wreaths Across America, here is the Wreaths Across America history.
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Wreaths Across America had its beginning in 1992 when Worchester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine found themselves with a surplus of wreaths near the end of the holiday season. Morrill Worchester, the company owner, on a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, had a youthful indelible experience that followed him throughout his life; this youthful experience reminded him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice to their country. With this surplus of wreaths and his youthful experience at Arlington National Cemetery, Worchester realized that he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans; arrangements were made for these surplus wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year. This annual tribute went on quietly for several years, until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated on the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention with the Civil Air Patrol becoming involved which resulted in wreath-laying ceremonies across the country. The first ceremony at Chattanooga National Cemetery took place in 2006.
Mission
The mission of Wreaths Across Chattanooga is to lay a wreath on every gravestone at Chattanooga National and in so doing is to simply REMEMBER-ALL CHATTANOOGA AREA VETERANS WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY, HONOR-THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO SERVED AND MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE and TEACH-THE VALUE OF FREEDOM AND THOSE WHO PROTECTED OUR FREEDOM. This is an opportunity to connect “The Greatest Generations” with the “Generation of Hope.”
“Wreaths Across Chattanooga” would not be successful without the help of so many volunteers and active organizations. Since 2006, each December, hundreds of people in our area show up to help place the wreaths on each gravestone. Also, in January, volunteers show up for the “Retiring of the Wreaths”, which is the clean-up date at Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Vision
In many local discussions, there is a perception that a wreath is placed on every grave at Chattanooga National Cemetery but that isn’t always the case. During the national record-setting Wreaths Across Chattanooga campaigns of 2021 and 2022, enough funds were collected to place 20,024 (2021) and 30,746 (2022) wreaths; Wreaths Across Chattanooga placed more wreaths on graves of veterans than any organization in the United States for these two years. After a major fundraising effort, wreaths were placed on all graves during the years 2023 and 2024.
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When a headstone is left bare, it can be very personal, and one ponders the question “What about my son?” or “What about my daughter?” or “What about my father?” and for me it becomes “What about my mother?” How many people come to Chattanooga National Cemetery and see these wreaths or see the wreaths in our news but there’s not one on their loved one’s marker?
