Wreaths Across America ~ Iowa

A War Hero ~ Capt. Ed Freeman

waaiowa — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:39:36 +0000

You’re a 19 year old kid.

You’re critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.

It’s November 11, 1967.

LZ (landing zone) X-ray.

Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.

You’re lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you’re not getting out.

Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again.

As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then – over the machine gun noise – you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.

You look up to see a Huey coming in. But.. It doesn’t seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.

He’s not MedEvac so it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he’s flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He’s coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety.

And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!

Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.

He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho

An American Patriot

May God Bless and Rest His Soul.

Light The Night ~ Honoring Our Deployed & Their Families

waaiowa — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:41:58 +0000

Saturday ~ December 11th at 6PM ~ Iowa National Guard Readiness Center at 4540 Melrose Ave. in Iowa City

We are very honored to announce that we have a wonderful vocalist performing for us as we Light The Night for our deployed troops and their families. Tina Doran, a veteran spouse, has performed the National Anthem at most athletic events at Kellogg Community College and Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Tina also performed the National Anthem at football games at the University of Michigan’s Big House.

Iowa City Press Citizen Article

waaiowa — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:43:51 +0000

Greetings All:

Thank you to the Press Citizen for the great pre-story for Wreaths Across America and Patriots Light The Night Ceremonies on Saturday:

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201012080309

The Press Citizen has given us a venue to post photos from Saturday’s events as well. See link below:

http://www.press-citizen.com/section/PluckPublicPhotoGalleries

Looking forward to great events….DRESS WARM!

Le Ann

Wreaths Update!

waaiowa — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:42:45 +0000

Greetings All:

The wreaths have arrived! Those who have pick up orders to place yourselves will get calls tomorrow. We will be working feverishly to get all sorted and ready for placement Saturday.

AMAZING NEWS: Morrill and Karen Worcestor of Wreaths Across America donated 200 wreaths to our project so we could meet our goal to place a wreath at every headstone in Oakland Cemetery. This is the first time we are able to honor every veteran at Oakland! So, in 2010 we are very happy to report that wreaths will be placed at Oakland Cemetery. St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Memory Gardens, Swisher, Oak Hill Cemetery in Coralville and Lone Tree in Johnson County. Wreaths will also be placed at the cemetery in Riverside. THANK YOU to all who sponsored wreaths!

The weather promises to be cold and perhaps snowy. We will perservere with our plans! For each of us this will be a small sacrifice compared to those who have and are serving our great country. Remember, DRESS WARM!

We have a couple of jobs that we could use assistance with:

1) We could use some volunteers to place wreaths at St. Josephs on Saturday. We were going to do this Friday; however with the impending snow they would be covered by Saturday. Please email here if you would like to place the wreaths about 8AM on Saturday.

2) We will need 2-3 people to make sure the walkways and chairs are kept clear of snow if it is snowing. Please email here if you can lend a hand.

Don’t forget– we have shuttle service in and out of Oakland!

Let’s make this this best ceremony ever!

Patriots Light The Night!

waaiowa — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 08:23:24 +0000

Saturday, December 11 · 6:00pm – 6:30pm

4540 Melrose Ave. Iowa National Guard Readiness Center

Please join our Iowa National Guard Families as Wreaths Across America hosts a candle light ceremony to honor our deployed Iowans and their loved ones.

Candles will be provided or you may bring your own. We will light the night with patriotic music, words of enlightment and honor for our dear deployed Iowans.

Please dress warm!

Itinerary For Dec. 11th Ceremony

waaiowa — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:17:55 +0000

We invite you to be a part of this special day of rememberance and honor for our veterans and service members. We will place approximately 300 wreaths at Oakland Cemetery in the morning.

Schedule as follows:

9:45AM: Honor procession with wreaths arrive at cemetery gates. All guests are asked to bring your flag and line the

drive from the gates to the gazebo to welcome the procession.

10AM: Section leaders will lead groups to place wreaths at gravesites thoughout the cemetery.

10:40: Pre- Ceremony: Music provided by Iowa City’s Old Capitol Chorus. Names will be read of Civil War Veterans

buried in Oakland Cemetery. Korean War Veterans will be honored at this time.

11AM: Ceremony will begin promptly at 11AM to coincide with all ceremonies across America and on all seven seas.

Colors Presented by Company “A” 49th Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Pledge Of Allegiance: Area Boy Scout Organizations (our “red caps” for the day)

Ceremonial wreaths presented for each military branch and POW-MIA

Keynote address: Maj. Genral Robert Sentman

Lunch immediately following at the Iowa City American Legion Post located at 3016 Muscatine Ave.

NO PARKING IN CEMETERY ~ SHUTTLE SERVICE PROVIDED:

Marco’s Cab will provide shuttle service from 911 N. Governor (former DHS Bldg) to the gazebo area. Service will be provided after ceremony back to cars.

Pick up schedule is as follows:

9:15
9:25
9:35
10AM

Free will donations are appreciated.

For questions call Le Ann Tyson at 430.1187 or email leanntyson@msn.com

Remember A Veteran ~ Sponsor A Wreath!

waaiowa — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 05:10:10 +0000

Hello All:

The leavs are nearly off the trees. You are probably thinking of buying your turkey. AND we are working feverishly to get to 324 wreaths in our fourth year of hosting the WAA Ceremony. We would love, for the first time, to be able to honor every identified veteran in Oakland Cemetery. As of today we are 63 wreaths short. We are close! If you have made a contribution—THANK YOU!

If you have not sponored a wreath or two, would you consider it? Perhaps you could help us through your workplace? place of worship? civic organization? We are so close that it would be a shame to not reach this goal. All checks must be in the office by Monday, November 22nd.

To update you on the other cemeteries in Iowa City and through the counties:

We have as follows:

Lone Tree: 24

Swisher: 7

Riverside: 30

Memory Gardens: 7

St. Joseph’s: 32

Let’s remember those who fought for our freedom!

Honoring Our Civil War Heroes

waaiowa — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:33:39 +0000

We re very pleased to announce that Co. A. 49th IA Veteran Volunteer Infantry will be joining our 2010 Wreaths Across America Ceremony.

Check out their website at www.iowavalor.com. The 49th Iowa is the Nation’s Most Decorated Civil War Honor Guard Unit. They are the Governor of Iowa’s personal Honor Guard; and, have won the Nation Meritorious Unit Citation from the Sons of veterans Reserve for 2010, for a start.

The 49th IA will be paying special honor to the fallen Civil War Veterans laid to rest at Oakland Cemetery. They also will present and retire the colors to the sounds of their own Regimental bagpiper and Highland Drummer beating the slow cadence march.

We are very honored and humbled to have this outstanding organization join our ceremony as we usher the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War.

We Need Wreath Sponsorships!

waaiowa — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:26:18 +0000

Wreath Sponsorship Form 2010

Greetings All:

It is that time of year again! This will be our Fourth Annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony on December 11th at Oakland Cemetery (1000 Brown St.) in Iowa City.

Our goal this year is to be able to lay wreaths at all 324 veteran’s gravesites. We have never been able to do this so far. We are asking each person to donate one more wreath than you have in the past to help us reach this goal. Above is the link for the form. All donations must be received by November 19th in order to get our sponsorships sent to main for the wreaths to be shipped on time.

Please call Le Ann Tyson at 319.430.1187 with questions. We appreciate your support.

Your Locations Leaders~ Mike and Le Ann Tyson

waaiowa — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:38:39 +0000

Iowan Receives Medal Of Honor

Makes our work of supporting our military service members and honoring our veterans seem like a such an small endeavor. Very proud of our fellow Iowan who has received the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts while in battle in Afghanistan. This is the first time a living soldier has received this honor since Viet Nam.