Wednesday, December 21, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
23
Ceremony honors veterans buried at Camp Polk Cemetery
Close to 50 people gath-
ered at the Lodge at Aspen
Lakes on Saturday morning
to honor veterans buried at
Camp Polk Cemetery as a
part of the national Wreaths
Across America program.
The ceremony was origi-
nally scheduled to be held
at the cemetery, but due to
heavy snowfall event organiz-
ers made the decision to move
the event indoors.
Working with the Sisters
V.F.W. Post 8138 and
American Legion Post 86, the
colors were posted at 9 a.m.
and Sisters High School stu-
dent Alana Lukens sang the
National Anthem.
Camp Polk Cemetery was
one of over 1,100 locations
participating in the Wreaths
Across America program
this year. The theme this year
was “Say Their Names” —
because it is believed a per-
son “dies twice,” once when
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Brig. Gen. Martha Meeker.
they take their last breath, and
later the last time their name
is spoken.
The event allowed those
in attendance a chance to
remember not how the sol-
diers and sailors died, but how
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Jeri Buckmann presented a wreath.
they lived.
“Lying in cemeteries
throughout this nation are
men and women who gave
their lives so that we can live
in freedom and without fear,”
said speaker Martha Meeker,
Brigadier General, U.S.A.F.,
retired.
“Our nation stands as a
shining beacon of liberty and
freedom to the world,” she
continued. “We thank those
who gave their lives to keep
us free and we shall not forget
you. We shall remember.”
Remembrance wreaths
for each branch of the mili-
tary were placed along with
a moment of silence for pris-
oners of war and those who
never have returned to their
home and families.
Location coordinator Erin
Borla spoke on the historical
significance of Camp Polk
Cemetery to Sisters.
“I urge each of you today,
after this event, to drive down
Camp Polk Road and experi-
ence Camp Polk Meadow as
it was in 1865 when Oregon’s
Company A set up the origi-
nal camp through the win-
ter of 1865-1866,” she said.
“Not much has changed. This
snow-covered meadow is just
as beautiful now is it was
then.”
Each of the 39 veter-
ans interred at Camp Polk
Cemetery had their names
read, accompanied by the
ringing of a bell and the sym-
bolic placement of a wreath.
One of the original Camp
Polk soldiers, William N.
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Cox, Oregon Company A,
who is buried at the cemetery,
was honored as well.
Coordinators thanked the
many people who sponsored
wreaths or donated services,
especially Aspen Lakes Golf
Course and the Cyrus fam-
ily, who stepped in when
the weather turned poor and
allowed the event to take
place in their facility.
“Each wreath is a gift of
appreciation, from a grateful
America,” Meeker said.
The wreaths will be moved
to Camp Polk Cemetery at a
later date, when snow accu-
mulation has gone down
and headstones are safely
accessible.
For more informa-
tion about Wreaths Across
America or to participate
next year visit www.wreath
acrossamerica.org.
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
An honor guard of Sisters veterans.
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