Wreaths Across America to honor veterans buried in 3 Norwin cemeteries
Veterans buried in three Norwin-area cemeteries will be honored Saturday with wreaths placed on their graves by volunteers with the North Huntingdon chapter of Wreaths Across America, a national initiative.
A third cemetery, Long Run Cemetery in North Huntingdon, has been added to Union Cemetery in North Huntingdon and Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Irwin, where wreaths were laid the past two years. The third cemetery brings the number of wreaths to be placed to 2,650, said Wendy Waugh, co-coordinator of the local initiative.
“Our goal has always been to recognize every veteran buried at Union Cemetery and Immaculate Conception Cemetery,” Waugh said.
After meeting that goal in the first two years of the local initiative, volunteers were comfortable taking on the challenge of a third cemetery, she said.
“Long Run Cemetery (where Revolutionary War soldiers are buried) seemed to be a perfect one,” said Waugh, who shares the local coordinator duties with Joyce Swerock.
A check-in tent for volunteers will be open from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Volunteers can sign up by using the organization’s Facebook page, titled Wreaths Across America — North Huntingdon.
An honor guard from J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 in North Huntingdon will conduct a ceremony at noon at Union Cemetery, which is on Pennsylvania Avenue in Irwin. Norwin Air Force Junior ROTC students will participate in the ceremony and assist in laying the wreaths on the graves, Waugh said.
Each branch of the service will be recognized with the placement of the ceremonial wreaths. Vietnam War veteran Carl Dayton will lay the POW/MIA wreath.
The VFW honor guard will do a three-volley salute. Taps will be played.
Through a series of fundraisers, Waugh said, the group collected the $39,750 needed to buy wreaths for the graves of all veterans buried in the three cemeteries. Any additional money received this year will go toward the 2020 wreaths program, Waugh said. Donations can be made by mailing checks payable to Wreaths Across America, 494 Sherrick Drive, North Huntingdon, PA 15642.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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