Saturday morning, December 10, 2011,Craig Lawson, President, Seattle Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), organized, led and conducted the 2011 Wreaths Across America ceremony at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle.

 The ceremony began promptly at 9:00 am, the same time Wreaths Across America was taking place at hundreds of cemeteries across the Country.   Even though it was a very cold morning with near freezing temperatures, some 30-plus attended.  Among those attending, were compatriots from Seattle Chapter, Cascade Chapter and Alexander Hamilton Chapter.  There was also a contingent of U.S. Union Civil War reenactors attending.

The honor guard was provided by five teenage members of Overlake Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron, PCR-WA-050, led by adult leader Lt. Debbie Nelson, CAP.  These young people did an outstanding job of posting and retrieving the Colors.  "America the Beautiful" was played to bring the Colors forward.

 After brief and moving remarks by President Craig Lawson, seven service wreaths were laid at the base of the Cemetery flagpole.  This flagpole was provided some years ago by the Washington DAR, SAR, CAR and Daughters of the American Colonists.  A beautiful stone at the base attests to this, around which the seven memorial wreaths were laid in solemn ceremony to honor each of the U. S. Armed Services as follows:

 
United States Army
Robert O’Neal
US Army Lt. Colonel (Ret.) 

 
United States Navy
John Ernest
Registrar, Washington State Society SAR

 
United States Marine Corps
Alison Bernard
In memory of her step-brother, who was killed in Iraq in 2005

 
United States Air Force
Lt. Debbie Nelson
Overlake Civil Air Patrol Cadet Commander 

 
United States Coast Guard
Robert Doughty, Commander USCG (Ret.)
President, Washington State Society SAR
 
United States Merchant Marines
Cap Caputo

Washington State Sons of Union Veterans
 
Prisoners of War/Missing in Action
Kevin Healy
Grounds Foreman, Lake View Cemetery
 
After closing remarks, again by President Craig Lawson, Taps was played by Bob O'Neal and the Colors were retired.
 
After the ceremony, those in attendance placed the 33 individual wreaths donated by SAR and DAR members and others on the graves of veterans buried throughout the cemetery.

 Among those attending were Compatriots Tony and Charlotte Abbott, Bob & Janice Doughty, Tim Doughty & family, Don Wingerson, Gary Pearson, Bob O'Neal, Craig Lawson, and others.  Wreaths were laid at the graves of veterans of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq/Afghanistan in this older section of beautiful Lake View Cemetery. 

 Pictures were graciously provided by Andreas Wienke, whose two sons performed in the Civil Air Patrol color guard.

--Reported by Bob O'Neal