Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Corey Beal | Army Reserve Brig. Gen. R.A. Bassford and Maj. Scott Hagen, chaplain, of the 88th...... read more read more
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“These are not just events to lay a wreath or celebrate our past presidents. They are an opportunity for us to join together to remember and celebrate our history as a nation.”
In the 1930’s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began the practice of having military representatives place wreaths on his behalf at the tombs of past presidents located outside the Washington area.
This tradition continues today as designated commands join communities across the country for annual Presidential Wreath Laying Ceremonies. The Army Reserve is responsible for supporting seven of these ceremonies, six of which are carried out by the 88th Regional Support Command.
Brig. Gen. R.A. Bassford, deputy commanding general of the 88th RSC, has officiated 12 events and said they provide us a very unique and rewarding opportunity to connect with the community.
“These events give us a chance to meet with communities who are very interested in keeping the memory of our past presidents alive, because all of them are tremendous local heroes,” said Bassford.
“It’s really a unique opportunity to get out to meet some of the folks in our communities and represent the Army Reserve.”
The six presidential wreath laying ceremonies supported by the 88th RSC include Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis; Rutherford B. Hayes in Fremont, Ohio; Warren G. Harding in Marion, Ohio; James A. Garfield in Cleveland, Ohio; William McKinley in Canton, Ohio; and William Henry Harrison in North Bend, Ohio.
In addition to providing a general officer to represent the President, the 88th RSC also coordinates for a chaplain to perform the opening prayer and a musician to play taps.
Staff Sgt. Dave Lambermont of the 338th Army Band, has attended nearly a dozen Presidential Wreath Laying Ceremonies to perform taps.
“When I first started doing them, I was always surprised at the number of people that turned out for the ceremonies,” said Lambermont. “I think it is great that these communities have come together to maintain the monuments, honor the past presidents, and celebrate their history.”
Each of the wreath laying ceremonies are organized within the community by a different local foundation, historical society or hosting cemetery. This variance has given each event its own distinctive characteristics which are indicative of the president and people who organize the events.
For example, the wreath laying ceremony for President Garfield is very formal and takes place at his cathedral style monument in Cleveland’s historic Lake View Cemetery. It hosts local residents, elected officials, members of several societies and foundations, as well as direct decedents of President Garfield.
In contrast, the wreath laying ceremony for President William Henry Harrison takes place at his final resting place in the small village of North Bend. His ceremony has become the town’s largest event of the year which hosts more than 200 people who conduct a half mile procession from the municipal building to the memorial which is located on a hilltop overlooking the Ohio River.
Participants of the Harrison event include the local community, Sherriff Honor Guard, high school Band, VFW, Knights of Columbus, Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, re-enactors, and Cub Scouts.
“Every ceremony we go to is a very big deal in that community,” said Bassford, “so the chance to come out and meet those people with a love for history and their past president and to be a part of that if only for a little bit, is certainly the most rewarding part of the mission.”
Of the Presidents annually honored by the 88th RSC, many have become footnotes in popular history due to the passage of time or the shortness of their presidency. According to Bassford, this can require a love for American history and much research in order to give a meaningful tribute rather than simply reciting his biography.
“There is a tremendous amount of value in our history - and to be able to do a wreath laying ceremony properly you need to know something about the person you are memorializing,” said Bassford. “On a personal level, it is wonderful to learn the history of some of our past presidents who may have become a little less known over the years.”
There is no better example of this than our ninth president whom Bassford payed tribute to at his memorial on Feb 5.
“If you ask the man on the street, he will tell you William Henry Harrison is the president who died 32 days into his presidency from pneumonia that he caught at his inauguration,” Bassford said to the crowd. “But there was much, much more to the man than a month as president.”
“His life was filled with all manner of accomplishments and service which helped shape the nation,” continued Bassford. “ … any of us would be delighted to do half as well with our lives. The man, then cannot be defined by his presidency any more than any of you can be defined solely by what you did last month.”
Lambermont was on hand for this year’s William Harrison wreath laying ceremony to play taps. This was his third time supporting the event and said that his appreciation for the ceremony and what it represents has grown deeply over the years.
"The first time I played the William Henry Harrison ceremony near Cincinnati I thought, 'why are all these people here, he was only president for a month?,'" said Lambermont. "I learned that for these communities it's really a chance to celebrate the history of the community itself."
Beyond the honor of representing the President or paying tribute to our former presidents, Bassford said it has been a privilege to join communities in celebrating our history which should not be forgotten.
“These are not just events to lay a wreath or celebrate our past presidents,” said Bassford, “they are an opportunity for us to join together to remember and celebrate our history as a nation.”
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2016 12:27 |
| Story ID: | 188592 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Army Reserve joins local communities to celebrate America’s past presidents, by SFC Corey Beal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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