Honoring Veterans with Holiday Remembrance

PA Funeral Directors Association Sponsors

in Wreaths Across America Ceremony

Harrisburg, PA - December 5 - On December 5, the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association joined other states and the District of Columbia in honoring veterans and members of the armed forces and their families with a remembrance wreath laying ceremony at the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Organized in 1891, PFDA is one of the oldest and largest state funeral directors' associations in the nation.

The ceremony in the Rotunda of the State Capitol featured: Major General Wesley Craig, Adjutant General, Pennsylvania National Guard; Larry Reece, State Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars; Floyd Turner, II, Commander, Reading Base, U. S. Submarine Veterans; Major Max Furman, Chaplain, Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Doug Enck and Michael Smucker, Buglers, of the Red Rose Honor Guard; Senior Master Sergeant David Kolmetzky (USAF-Ret), Administrative Officer, Washington Crossing National Cemetery; State Senator Lisa Baker, Chair, Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee; State Representative Harry Readshaw, Co-Chairman, Military Installations and Base Development Caucus; Rebecca Ann Kriner, Student at Muncy High School; Janice Mannal, President of PFDA; Dean Wetzler, Jr., Chair of the event; and Walt Burnett, State Coordinator and members of the Pennsylvania Military Funeral Honors, who posted the national and state colors to honor all the fallen veterans and current members of the armed forces of the Commonwealth.

More than 125 dignitaries and representatives from various veterans' organizations, state veterans who have served throughout the world, members of the armed forces along with their families, Civil Air Patrol, Patriot Guard Riders, funeral directors, state legislators and the general public participated in the event.

According to PFDA President Janice Mannal, "The Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association is honored to participate in this important annual national effort to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Honoring our veterans and active military and their families is the highest privilege afforded to our armed forces."
The Wreaths Across America story began over 20 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine found themselves with an excess of wreaths nearing the end of this holiday season. Seeing an opportunity to make a difference, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery. Over that period of time, Worcester Wreath has donated more than 100,000 wreaths which were placed by volunteers in a wreath-laying ceremony each December at Arlington.

Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization formed in 2006 as part of the Worchester Wreath Company's commitment to honor veterans buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 2007, the tradition became a national effort and for the first time, ceremonial wreaths were donated to 24 veterans' cemeteries on foreign soil and aboard U.S. ships sailing on all seven seas at Christmas.

More information about the program held on December 5, 2011 can be obtained by contacting
Jo Ann Borsic at the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association at 800-692-6068. Information about the national program can be found at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.