On Saturday, December 13, 2025 Volunteers and members of the VFW Calabash Post 7288 and Auxilliary gathered to mark the second annual Wreaths Across America day in Brunswick County.
Click here to view the Google Photo Album of this event.
The following Press Release describes the event.
by Frederick Walton (Photos (C)2025 Frederick Walton Photography.)
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| Christmas wreaths and American Flags came together to mark the annual Wreaths Across America day |
Christmas wreaths and American flags came together on Saturday, December 13, 2025 to mark the second annual Wreaths Across America day in Brunswick County. Volunteers and members of almost a dozen local veterans groups, civic groups and churches joined together to pause for a moment during the busy holiday season to remember our veterans. Working together they laid wreaths on the graves of every veteran buried in the Brunswick Memorial Gardens and at the Chapel Hill Cemetery, both in Shallotte.
In the past, the American Legion, VFW and other local veterans groups have traveled to the National Cemetery in Wilmington to support this annual event, but over the years it has become so popular, and so crowded, that beginning last year Suzanne Smith and Mary Thorsten, both members of the Nocha White American Legion Auxiliary Unit 503 Calabash worked with Wreaths Across America to bring an inaugural event to Brunswick county and honor the 376 veterans buried here in Shallotte. “This saved local veterans a long drive to Wilmington and helps us honor the Veterans here in our own community” said co-coordinator Mary Thorsten.
Wreaths Across America counted more than two million volunteers and supporters gathering on this day to remember, honor and teach at more than 5,200 participating locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad.
Over one hundred volunteers came to the Memorial Gardens cemetery, on a mild, bright, winters day to attend the ceremony and help distribute the fresh evergreen wreaths with cheery red bows by placing them on individual veterans graves.
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| Volunteers place wreaths at each Veteran's Grave, saying the Veterans name aloud to keep their memory alive. |
“This is the culmination of a years effort to coordinate so many area volunteer groups, each existing separately, but working together as one family to support local veterans and honor those that are no longer with us except in memory.” said one of the volunteers.
The noon time ceremony at the Brunswick Funeral Service Memorial Gardens began with a prayer and a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace”, followed by the presentation of the colors by the American Legion Post 503 in Calabash. The large crowd of onlookers listened to the singing of the National anthem, followed by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Dale Smith, adjutant of Post 503 welcomed guests and acted as the master of ceremonies. Brigadier General Wayne Grigsby, U. S. Army, retired, and current commander of VFW Calabash Post 7288 was the guest speaker. He talked about the mission of the Wreaths of America organization, “Remember, Honor, Teach” and how each of the veterans organizations present essentially practices these principles every day. He related a personal story of a tragic wartime event that occurred while he was commanding a combat team in Iraq. During a routine security patrol the convoy his team was patroling in was attacked and lives were lost. As the commander, General Grigsby was responsible for the difficult job of contacting the parents of the fallen and injured. Conveying his sincere sympathy and regret, he was astounded to hear of the grieving families concern for his wellbeing. The point being that freedom is not free, there is a cost for the freedom we all enjoy. A cost the General lives with every day. On a day like Wreaths Across America day, this scenario is recalled hundreds of times, across thousands of cemeteries, by the 1% of our citizens that served as the tip of the spear keeping us safe. General Grigsby reminded us to remember the fallen, honor those that served, and to "teach the next generation the actual cost that we, in the military, pay for our freedom.”
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| Guest Speaker Brigadier General Wayne Grigsby, U. S. Army, retired, and current commander of VFW Calabash Post 7288 speaking on the mission of the Wreaths of America organization, “Remember, Honor, Teach” |
The Knights of Columbus Assembly 3115 from St. Brendan's Church escorted eight veterans who individually placed a symbolic memorial wreath honoring members who have served or are serving in each branch of service including the U. S. Army, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U. S. Space Force, U. S. Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and in memory of all service members missing in action or prisoners of war who have never returned home to their families.
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| The Knights of Columbus escorted veterans who individually placed a symbolic memorial wreath honoring members who have served or are serving in each branch of service |
As the ceremony concluded, volunteers were instructed to pick up a wreath, find a veteran’s grave and place the wreath, pausing to say the veterans name out loud as a way to make sure they are remembered.
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| Local Scouts came out to volunteer in placing wreaths during Wreaths across America |
Wreaths Across America gives $5 back to Veterans groups for every wreath that is purchased in their name, Thorsten explained. The auxiliary uses all the funds it receives from the wreaths towards supporting local veterans.
When driving past these cemeteries during the holiday season, take notice of the colorful rows of holiday wreaths and remember the sacrifices of the veterans buried there.
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Volunteers Place Wreaths on Veteran’s Graves during Wreaths Across America. |
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| A large Crowd Gathered on a beautiful winters day to honor local veterans during the Wreaths Across America Ceremony |
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