Wreaths Across America at Mill Springs

Local News

Related Photos

December 12, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Sat Dec 12, 2009, 08:59 PM EST

Somerset — A small crowd braved chilly weather Saturday to be part of the Mill Springs National Cemetery’s fourth annual Wreaths Across America ceremony.

While the event is still fairly new to Pulaski County, the story of Wreaths Across American began 17 years ago when the Worcester Wreath Company began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of fallen soldiers at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Today, wreath-laying ceremonies are held at more than 300 national cemeteries, including Mill Springs, at the same time — noon Eastern Time — on the second Saturday in December.

Patriot Guard Ride Captain Mike Lodico once again was the featured speaker at yesterday’s ceremony.

Lodico shared a quote from President Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Several donated live evergreen wreaths were placed at the graves of soldiers in the cemetery by Somerset Police Explorers and members of Boy Scout Troop #81.

One of the wreaths was placed at the grave of Sgt. Brent Woods, who fought during the Indian Wars and received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1881. Woods’ remains were originally placed in an unmarked grave, but they were moved to the Mill Springs National Cemetery in 1984 after a campaign was started to rebury his remains with full military honors. Woods is the only person from Pulaski County to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor and the second African-American from Kentucky to do so.

Wreaths in honor of soldiers of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines were also dedicated, placed by local veterans under the American flag located near the center of the cemetery. A wreath for the more than 93,000 soldiers listed as POW/MIA was also placed there.

For more information on the event and its history, visit: www.wreaths-across-america.org.

Text Only

Local News

Fast-moving blaze guts mobile home off Slate Branch Road
February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Refinery to re-open in early summer
February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Downtown road work running ahead of schedule
February 3, 2012
Board upholds principal’s demotion
February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past.

February 2, 2012
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.

February 2, 2012
SCS to host Medal of Honor recipient
The message is clear: There are heroes. Even here in our own hometowns.
That’s the idea organizers hope to get across Saturday night at Somerset Christian School, when Congressional Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Dakota Meter speaks to all who choose to attend.
For further questions, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities please contact Susan Adams at (606) 875-0255.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Newspaper veteran name Publisher of Commonwealth Journal
SOMERSET — A fourth generation newspaperman has been named publisher of the Commonwealth Journal.
Rob McCullough, 50, who started working in a newspaper mailroom when he was 15, officially assumes his duties today. He succeeds Jack McNeely who has accepted a position with the Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper, Alabama.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Blakley receives worldwide honor
February 1, 2012 1 Photo
Bill would allow Somerset to collect restaurant tax
February 1, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Wreaths Across America at Mill Springs

Site Map