The Coalition of the Swilling

Morrill Worcester initially brought 4,000 surplus wreaths from the holiday decoration company he owns to adorn gravesites at Arlington in 1992. Every year since then he has set aside several thousand wreaths especially for that purpose, driving to Arlington in December with a trailer full of decorations and dozens of volunteers to distribute them throughout the cemetery. As Mr. Worcester told an Air Force reporter in 2005:

We couldn't do anything in this country if it wasn't for the people who gave their lives to protect us. It's a great honor to be able to come here and pay our respects.

That first year, there were just a few of us, and it took us five or six hours to get them placed. This year, we had extra help and got done in about an hour.

In 2006, Mr. Worcester hopes to expand the Arlington Wreath Project into Wreaths Across America, an effort to place memorial wreaths at more than 230 State and National Cemeteries and Veterans Monuments across the United States.

The 2006 wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington (and other sites) will take place on December 14. Persons interested in participating in this event should contact Wayne Hanson at (703) 971-4148. Those who cannot attend in person may participate by observing a moment of silence at noon hour on December 14 "to reflect on the sacrifices made and freely given by those who will not be home for the holidays."