WreathsAcrossAmerica

BYTAMMYSHRIVER TIMESWESTVIRGINIAN

GRAFTON— It is often said that history repeats itself.

For theWebster Baptist Church, that has come to pass.

The church was used as a campground for CivilWar soldiers before they went to Philippi.

So when the church’s membership dropped to five older adults it decided to dissolve and donate the building to FellowshipMission Church, whose church was badly damaged in storms last year.

The trustee had to donate the money it had in the treasury.

One of the donations that the church made was $5,000 for theWreathsAcrossAmerica program to decorate the graves of soldiers in the Grafton National Cemetery onWalnut Street in Grafton.

“It was so awesome when I got the call and they said, ‘We would like to donate toWreaths AcrossAmerica the last few dollars we have from the church. We are going to close out the account,’” BuddyMyers, chairman of the board of theWest Virginia Patriot Guard said.

The Patriot Guard has been involved with WreathsAcrossAmerica for many years, but this is the first year that the guard has coordinated a cemetery.

Its goal is to place a wreath on every grave.

WreathsAcrossAmerica is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded 25 years ago. It expanded the annual wreath-laying ceremony atArlington National Cemetery.

The mission is to remember fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve and teach children the SEE GRAVES, PAGE 10A

Standing on the steps of the Grafton National Cemetery are Keith Barnes (from left), director of the West Virginia National Cemetery in Pruntytown and Grafton National Cemetery; Buddy Myers, chairman of the West Virginia Patriot Guard; and Nancy Bartlett, trustee of Webster Baptist Church. The group met as Bartlett presented the West Virginia Patriot Guard with a check for $5,000 to be used for the Wreaths Across America project that the Patriot Guard is coordinating this year.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

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value of freedom.

“There is so much history here,” Myers said. “One of WreathsAcrossAmerica’s goals is teaching. We are able to teach here. We are able to walk in here and see CivilWar heroes buried. WorldWar I andWorldWar II heroes are buried here.”

The Grafton National Cemetery is the final resting place of 2,100 veterans. Of those 2,100, 1,252 are Union soldiers. Of those 1252 Union soldiers, 613 were buried as unknowns.

It is in that cemetery that the first casualty of the Civil War is buried.

Thornsberry Bailey Brown was shot on May 22, 1861 when he refused to halt to a Confederate sentry. Brown fired on the sentry, hitting him in the ear. The sentry returned fire, killing Brown.

The donation will help buy approximately 450 wreaths with the buy-two-get-one program now being offered with Wreaths Across America.

“We are all veterans-minded. We wanted to help out with the wreaths,” Nancy Bartlett, a trustee of the Webster Baptist Church, said. “This cemetery is kind of forgotten since the new National Cemetery opened in (1987) in Pruntytown. This cemetery has character. These are the old boys who did it all.”

Bartlett remembers going to church and reading names of Civil War soldier and letters to their families and sweethearts that were written on the wallpaper of the church and seeing blood on the wall.

“It was really interesting,” Bartlett said. “In the front of the church they wrote their names and their ranks and what year they were in.”

When the church was remodeled 10-15 years ago the wallpaper was plastered over.

The Patriot Guard has a goal of placing a wreath on every grave at the Grafton National Cemetery.

With the donation from the church and other funds they are almost halfway to their goal.

“We now have funds for about 1,000 wreaths,” Myers said. “If everything keeps clicking we will make our 2104.”

Wreaths are $15 each.

Anyone wishing to purchase wreaths may do so by contacting Buddy Myers, location coordinator, West Virginia Patriot Guard at 304-276-3753 or by logging on to wreathsacrossamerica. org. Go to “Search Location” and enter 26354 and click on Grafton National Cemetery, 431 Walnut St., Grafton, West Virginia, 26354.

The wreath-laying ceremony will be held at noon Dec. 17.

“We need to do God’s work and do all we can for the veterans,” Bartlett said. “The veterans are very important to this country.”

Email Tammy Shriver at tshriver@timeswv.com.