Truck driver Jon Brockway is driving 5,000 wreaths from Maine to the Arlington National Cemetery where they’ll be laid on the graves of fallen soldiers this Saturday December 14.
Flanked by a caravan of “Patriot Guard Riders,” Brockway stopped in Cromwell Tuesday morning before arriving in Old Saybrook Tuesday night. With the help of the fire department, town leaders held a ceremony to honor local veterans and placed wreaths at the town green war memorial.
“Here locally, it’s about people in this community that gave the sacrifice so you get to honor everyone on the local level too,” said Brockway.
That’s why they stopped in Old Saybrook.
“The best way of doing it is to do it face to face with people so they understand better why this mission is so important,” said Pattie Ptak of Wreaths Across America.
The Old Saybrook Fire Department starting hosting the Wreaths Across America truck in 2008.
“They’re not just cold stones, there’s someone underneath that stone and that someone paid a price so that we can do what we’re doing today,” said Firefighter Don Lucas.
Jon’s truck is one of hundreds, taking wreaths, not just to Arlington, but nationwide, continuing the Wreaths Across America tradition by aiming to “remember, honor and teach,” all the while paying tribute to the nation’s vets.
“Words can’t even really describe how emotional and how wonderful this has been for an experience,” said Brockway.