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By John Gordon*

1:00 P.M. EST Dec. 16, 2010 | KILLEEN, Texas (UMNS)

Beverly Norman looks out over a sea of red-and-green wreaths next to grave markers at the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery.

Then, the Killeen resident places a wreath where her son is buried. Army Capt. Michael Norman was killed two years ago by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

“We need to respect that and give thanks, not only at this time of year, but all year, for those who give their lives,” Norman says.

The 2,400 wreaths are there because of the efforts of Jean Shine, who started the Wreaths for Veterans project five years ago at her church, First United Methodist in Killeen.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, hundreds of church members and community volunteers turn out to decorate the wreaths at the church.

Fourteen-year-old Brandon Baker is among the church members.

“It makes me feel happy that they’re being honored here at the cemetery instead of just being forgotten on the battlefield,” Baker says.

A mighty escort

A week later, about 300 motorcycle riders from across central Texas escort a large truck carrying the wreaths to the cemetery. Relatives of those buried there and volunteers then place the wreaths on the gravesites.

Motorcycle riders escort more than 2,000 wreaths to the
Central Texas Veterans Cemetery at Killeen. UMNS photos
by John Gordon. View in Photo Gallery

“(It) makes me want to cry,” Shine says. “It’s very heartwarming to know that people care, that they have love and respect for those who have done so much for us.”

Many of the bikers who escort the wreaths are veterans themselves.

“I definitely believe that people don’t remember all the sacrifices,” veteran Z.Z. Wastelanders says.

Also in the procession is Pete Martinez.

“We love to ride (and the) freedom of the road,” he says. “And those guys lying out there are the ones that give us the freedom.”

‘Healing for community’

Charlene Miller, who works at nearby Fort Hood, is there to represent families who cannot attend the wreath-laying ceremony.

“Some of these people that we’re going to put wreaths at their gravesides don’t have anyone representing them,” she says. “I’ve done this for the past four years.”

Shine uses donations from individuals and businesses to purchase the wreaths. She was inspired by a similar project at Arlington National Cemetery.

“It’s a healing for the community,” she explains. “We’ve had the Iraqi war, the Afghanistan war and everyone in our community is touched by all of this. And this is a way that we can come out and heal and honor and show respect.”

If trends continue, the group will stay busy finding support for more wreaths in the years to come. And more volunteers will be needed.

“It’s grown faster than we expected,” she says. “The cemetery will hold, eventually, 50,000.”

The veterans’ gift

Shine says the effort will be worthwhile.

Beverly Norman and her husband place a wreath where their son is buried at the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery. Capt. Michael Norman was killed in 2008, by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
View in Photo Gallery

“Our veterans that have passed and those that are serving today, and those that are retired, gave us the freedom to be here today,” she says.

“They gave us the freedom to worship as we please. If it wasn’t for them, we would not be the country we are. And we must always take care of them and honor them and thank them.”

And Norman, the Gold Star mother whose son died in Iraq, appreciates the effort.

“It makes me feel good to know that this many people come out and do what they feel is right. And it makes it look great and respectful,” she says.

And how does she believe her son would feel about the effort?

“He would say, ‘That’s good.’ He loved Texas. He loved his country. And he would say, ‘Thank you.’”

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

News media contact: Fran Walsh or Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.