Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2017

COASTNOTES
HOLIDAY WREATHS
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of
Kevin Cutill and Chad Riemann
Biloxi National Cemetery will be covered with Christmas cheer
South Mississippi is known for patriotism and that includes the holiday season when Christmas wreaths are placed on all graves at the Biloxi National Cemetery. The event was organized by Julia Encalade, Kevin Cutill and Chad Riemann in 2013. Wreaths for BNC is now a 501 c 3 non-profit organization. Wreaths are laid by volunteers of all ages the first Saturday of December, beginning at 11 a.m., and picked up the first Saturday of January.
“We had about 300 people show up that first year. It was cold and raining, but it didn’t matter. Our Community showed up.” Encalade said. “Last year we had more than 2,000 people show up.”
“Our first year we laid 1,200 wreaths, second year was over 4,000 wreaths, third year almost 9,000 and our fourth year over 12,000. This year we hope to cover all 20,000 sites,” Cutill said.
Encalade serves as the Harrison County Veterans Service Officer, Cutill President/CEO of Crusaders for Veterans, and Riemann is CEO of Riemann Family Funeral Homes.
“Julia and I were meeting in regards to helping a veteran when she mentioned the fact that so few head stones get covered annually and suggested getting artificial wreaths and collecting them over the years so we could cover and respect them all,” Cutill said.
The Keesler Base Exchange made the organizers a great deal for ordering the wreaths. John Fayard Moving
& Storage provides a discounted
rate to store the wreaths in shipping containers and delivers and picks them up.
“Riemann Family Funeral Homes has the distinct privilege of serving the families of veterans and their spouses across the Gulf Coast,” says Chad Riemann. “We are extremely fortunate
to have a National Cemetery in our community. We strongly support and promote our local cemetery because of its beauty, reverence, and convenience for those who served our country.”
Encalade’s dad, Richard Calaway, retired from the Air Force and is buried at the Biloxi National Cemetery. “My mother and I attended the Wreaths for Across America program in December 2012 and I promised my mother every grave in Biloxi would be covered,” she said.
Riemann says, “This, our fifth Anniversary, will be the year that each grave is covered with a Christmas Wreath! We are so excited to see this happen and thank all of those who have donated or volunteered to see
it through. The rows of wreaths and bows is a spectacular sight...and a very fitting tribute for our nation’s heroes.”
For More Information: cfv@crusadersforveterans.com www.crusadersforveterans.com
20 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • December 2017
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