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Wreaths Across America Ceremony Hits Heart for Georgetown Football Players |
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Written by Media Relations
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Wednesday, 19 December 2007 |
Washington, D.C. – For many of them, it was their first trip to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. What they left with were memories that will last a lifetime.
When Georgetown University sophomore linebacker Jon Cassidy (Alton Bay, N.H./St. John’s Prep [Mass.]) called on his Hoya teammates to join him this past Saturday at the Wreaths Across America ceremony, he felt it would be a nice thing to do, not to mention a good break from the pressure of final exams.
The Wreaths Across America program was started 15 years ago by the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine. Volunteers place wreaths on the headstones of the United States fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. Their mission statement is "Remember ... Honor ... Teach." Now, there are ceremonies like it at veterans cemeteries all over the country.
Nearly 20 of Cassidy’s teammates, and two of his coaches, Rob Sgarlata and KiJuan Ware, joined him on a cold and breezy Saturday morning. There was a brief ceremony and a moment of silence before the volunteers began laying wreaths on graves.
“It’s hard to put into words what I was feeling at Arlington (National Cemetery),” Cassidy said. “It was a mixture of sadness for those who have been lost, but also a feeling of happiness that so many people showed up to remember them. When I stood in front of the graves of Thomas Hines and George Bynum, all I could think is that these men had families too. There were people who loved them and were heartbroken when they were gone. It was one of the most heart-swelling moments of my life.”
His teammates who joined him had the same feelings.
“I just felt grateful and appreciative,” junior defensive back Chris Parker (Stone Mountain, Ga./Tucker) said. “I was honored to be a part of it all. I think it helps to put things in perspective, but each person has different perspectives and motivations. For me, it wasn’t about really getting a break, but more about taking the time out to recognize something great. I was really appreciative to have this opportunity.”
Saturday was an amazing morning,” junior defensive end Anthony DiTommaso (Short Hills, N.J./Seton Hall Prep). “It was a great feeling to be able to pay tribute to the soldiers that have fought and died for our country. And then seeing the couple thousand people that showed up made me realize how special this really was.”
“The event last Saturday was extremely humbling,” sophomore center Dan Matheny (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI) said. “Life is more than wins and losses and that was exemplified when I laid a wreath on a man’s grave who was my age when he was fighting a war and not dealing with college football. That kind of puts things in perspective.”
One of the instructions each volunteer was given was to be sure to read the name of each person when they placed the wreath. “It was more than just placing a wreath and walking away,” DiTommaso said. “I found a grave caught my attention, a 20-year-old boy like me. Placing the wreath and taking a few moments to try and picture him truly put things into perspective for me. At the end of the day, the sight of 10,000 wreaths, each honoring its own gravestone was something special and I was happy to be part of it.”
For Cassidy, organizing his teammates to do something in the middle of finals, meant more than anything.
“I don’t cry, but I had to fight back tears because there were so many of these men and women who fought so bravely and ended up unable to keep fighting,” he said. “Even though I had to get this going during a paper and three final exams, I think of it as one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. I look forward to being able to do this again and bringing more people and doing more to help this cause.”
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