Wreaths Across America commemorated at Brookdale Cemetery, across Lorain County

CARLISLE TWP. — Volunteers traversed the icy fields of Brookdale Cemetery on Saturday, brushing aside the snow that covered headstones to find the resting places of American military veterans and laying a wreath to honor them. They were participating in the Wreaths Across America program, a national program which sees tens of thousands of wreaths laid at the graves of veterans across the country every year. Several groups across Lorain County participated Saturday in addition to the event at Brookdale. The Nathan Perry Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution held ceremonies at Resthaven Memory Gardens in Avon, Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain and Nesbitt Cemetery in Grafton Township at the same time Saturday. The ceremony at Brookdale was organized by the Lorain County Civil Air Patrol and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1079 of Elyria. Civil Air Patrol 2nd Lt. Samantha Fisher gave a speech on the importance of the day as a chance to honor and remember past veterans, both those who fell in battle and those who died years later. "We are all proud to be Americans that live in a free society made up of many different people from many walks of life," Fisher said. "The freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price. Laying here before us, in cemeteries throughout the nation, are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom and without fear." Fisher then asked a procession of veterans to place a wreath at the base of flags at the Brookdale military memorial, each representing a branch of service and one representing prisoners of war. Wreaths were laid below the flags, in turn, of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force (a Space Command wreath was also laid beneath the Air Force flag), Coast Guard, prisoners of war and those missing in action. David Ice, an Army veteran and Vice Commander of VFW Post 1079, laid the wreath underneath the flag of the U.S. Army. "It was a very honorable occasion," Ice said. "Anybody that knows me knows I'm very proud of my service, and I support everything to do with all the military, but it was nice that I was allowed to (lay the wreath) for the Army." Fisher concluded her speech by thanking the volunteers who had come to lay wreaths alongside the graves, and asked them to take a moment as they did to remember each veteran by name. "It's important to have that intimate moment with the hero that you're honoring, but please remember to take a step back and take a look at the complete picture that all of us have accomplished through the mission to remember, honor and teach," Fisher said. "(These wreaths) symbolize our honor to those who served and are serving in the armed forces of our great nation (and) to their families who endure sacrifices every day on our behalf." Volunteers then set upon two rows of wreaths, quickly grabbing every wreath up and dispersing across the snowy cemetery, falling needles trailing behind. The grave markers of veterans had been marked with small stickers, but the snow and ice had come after, making it and arduous process to find each veteran. VFW Post 1079 members Jackie and David Salyan were among those checking each grave to make sure no veterans were missed. David Salyan said that participating in Wreaths Across America every year felt like a way to honor and connect to his late father, who was a veteran himself. "My father fought in the Korean War, he fought in '51 through '53, and it is a great way to honor him, I'm tearing up just thinking about him," David Salyan said. "... Thank goodness for the VFW, they're a big help." Jackie Salyan said that her father was a veteran as well, and she knew from being a social member of the VFW that events like Saturday's meant a lot to servicemen. "We do this because we all care about the fallen soldiers and the soldiers that have come before," she said. "... They put in their time for us, so we can put some in for them." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.