The wreath laying ceremony is modeled after one seen at Arlington National Cemetery.

By Elise Franco

The wreath laying ceremony is modeled after one seen at Arlington National Cemetery.

BOARDMAN — War veterans are honored on many occasions throughout the year, and the holiday season is no exception.

Tuesday morning, 27 Christmas wreaths were placed on the gravestones of 27 veterans in Zion Lutheran Cemetery to honor those who gave their lives while serving in the armed forces.

Hugh Earnhart, of the Ohio State University Extension Master Gardeners, said the idea spawned from a wreath laying ceremony he saw last year at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va.

“It was so impressive and moving that I came back and talked with colleagues, and we began raising money to do it ourselves,” he said. “The objective is to get other organizations to recognize these people at Christmas time.”

Earnhart said Zion Lutheran Cemetery, on Tippecanoe Road, was chosen as the site of the group’s first wreath laying because it was small and manageable with the amount of money the group was able to raise.

“We started out by contacting organization and asking for donations. We raised a little over $500,” he said. “Then we looked at cemeteries in the area, but some had hundreds of veterans. [Zion] had only 27.”

Earnhart said this was just the beginning, and the organizers hope to be able to move on to larger cemeteries in the Mahoning Valley in the future.

His wife, Mary Kay Earnhart, said she watched the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington Cemetery and loved the idea of bringing it to the valley.

“We just thought, ‘Why can’t we do this here?’” she said. “We dedicate at Memorial Day, but no one seems to really remember vets at Christmas.”

Mary Kay Earnhart said she thought the ceremony was successful in its first year, and she was glad to see all the people who showed up to lend their help and support.

One man said he always attends veteran functions.

Richard Mitchells, of Greenford, served in the Marine Corps during the 1950s. He said the veterans honored at Zion Lutheran Cemetery deserve the recognition.

“If it wasn’t for the vets, we’d really be in a different situation that we are now,” Mitchells said. “We’ve lost an awful lot of good people who should always be recognized by us because history has a tendency to forget.”

Earnhart said the hope of the The Ohio State University Extension is to get other organizations involved in recognizing veterans all over the Mahoning Valley. He said anyone who is interested can call the Mahoning County extension office, located on North Broad Street in Canfield, at (330) 533-5538.

efranco@vindy.com