Wreaths Across America Honoring Brick Heroes

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township's fallen heroes will be honored Saturday as Christmas wreaths are placed on their graves through the Wreaths Across America program.

The public is invited to the ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 16 at two cemeteries, the Brick TownshipHistoric Preservation Commission said. The first is at 9 a.m. at Gravelly Graveyard (Fairview Avenue), and the second is at noon at the Osbornville Protestant Church cemetery (588 Mantoloking Road)

Wreaths Across America formally organized in 2007, but got its start informally in 1992 when a Maine wreath company wanted to donate wreaths for graves at Arlington National Cemetery, to remember and honor the nation's service members.

"The 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 around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention," the organization says on its website. "Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, to emulate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries. ..."

In 2006, there were simultaneous wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 150 locations around the country, and in 2008, more than 300 locations held wreath-laying ceremonies, in every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries, with more than 100,000 wreaths placed on veterans’ graves, with more than 60,000 volunteers taking part.

That effort will continue this year, with wreath-layings and ceremonies at cemeteries in Ocean County and around New Jersey.