On the recordDecember 11, 2018
I am pleased to be joined by my colleague Senator Angus King in sponsoring this resolution to designate December 15, 2018, as Wreaths Across America Day. Throughout human history, the evergreen wreath has been offered as a tribute to heroes. On December 15, we gather to offer this enduring symbol of valor and sacrifice to America's heroes. In this season of giving, we pay tribute to those who have given us the most precious gift of all, our freedom. Some who secured that gift did not return home. Some did return but have since passed on. Some remain missing but will never be forgotten. Many still live in honor among us. We here at home must always respect their service. Often, we do this on those special days we set aside each year--Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day. Sometimes, we do this spontaneously because our hearts, rather than our calendars, tell us to. That is the origin of Wreaths Across America. Twenty-six Christmases ago, Morrill and Karen Worcester took time during their busiest season to donate and deliver 5,000 wreaths from their company in Harrington, Maine, to Arlington National Cemetery to mark the graves of fallen heroes. The people of Maine are proud that this heartfelt expression of America's gratitude began in our State, and I congratulate Karen and Morrill for being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award this April, the highest award the Society can bestow to civilians.…





