Tioga County will remember its veterans at Christmastime with remembrance wreaths as part of the nationwide Wreaths Across America program. 
 The objective is to have one wreath at the entrance to each cemetery where a veteran is buried, and for family members to decorate the grave of their loved one. 

 Noon on Saturday, December 13, is the time across the nation including Owego and Tioga County locations for ceremonies to honor our veterans who served and sacrificed for our freedoms. 

 For the 15th consecutive year, thousands of wreaths donated by the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, will be laid at Arlington National Cemetery to salute fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. Evergreen wreaths with red bows honoring Tioga County's fallen heroes will be placed at the Tioga County Veterans Memorials and Civil War Memorial in Court House Square. 

 Simultaneously at 12 o'clock the goal is to have the wreaths placed throughout Tioga County at the cemetery entrances and to encourage families to decorate the grave of their veteran. It's ok to do this earlier if this time is inconvenient. 

 Coordinating the Wreaths Across America initiative in Tioga County is Glenn A. Warner Post 1371, Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary President Doris Camp with her auxiliary members. Contact her at 687-4608 or dscamp15@yahoo.com.

 Her focal point coordinator is Jim Raftis, 687-4229 or  jraftis2@stny.rr.com. Jim will track who's covering cemeteries, who's volunteered and those interested in contributing toward the purchased of cemetery wreaths. 

 What's needed for this ambitious effort is someone to buy and deliver a wreath for a cemetery. Or a volunteer to take the purchased wreath to the cemetery. Unless cemetery wreaths are donated, funding will be needed from any community source. 

Tioga County veterans organizations are urged to participate. The Owego Veterans Memorial Committee will cover the South Owego-Apalachin-Owego-Newark Valley-Berkshire-Richford area. Veterans will represent Veterans of Modern Warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq, Vietnam Veterans of America, Tioga Post 401 American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary and Glenn A. Warner Post 1371 and Ladies and Men's Auxiliary.  

 Elsewhere in Tioga County, veterans are encouraged add value to this initiative as they cover their geographic area. Help would be appreciated from the Candor American Legion for Candor area, Spencer Van Etten VFW for Spencer area, Waverly VFW and American Legion for Village of Waverly and Town of Barton and Nichols American Legion for Nichols area.