Remembering the cost of freedom

Less than 20 people crowded around a small tent as members of American Legion Post 186 stood at attention at the Veteran's Garden to honor fallen soldiers and those missing in action.

But those who knew what the ceremony represented knew they weren't alone Saturday at Florida Hills Memorial Gardens. Across the nation, more than 300,000 people were honoring American soldiers past and present in similar fashion during Wreaths Across America Day.

Throughout the short ceremony, wreaths representing each branch of the military, along with prisoners of war and those missing in action, were placed in front of the garden as part of an effort to honor current and fallen heroes.

Cathy Marsh, director of family services for Florida Hills, said the purpose of the event is to urge people not to forget those serving in the military - especially during the Christmas season.

She added the ceremony helps to show what the cost is for American freedoms.

Toward the end of the ceremony, Marsh said rather than offer statistics about soldiers who've died, she gave those in attendance an assignment - to go to a gravesite of a soldier and to research and learn more about his or her life.

"That way you'll see these men and women are more than just part of a statistic," Marsh said. "These are people who had real friends and family members too."

For Army Capt. Caleb Brown, the importance of the ceremony was twofold - to bring his sons to honor other veterans and to hear his wife, Jenny, sing the National Anthem.

"Honoring veterans isn't just my responsibility, it's a family responsibility," Brown said. "My family is a military family and this is what we do."

Brooksville's ceremony coincided with the noon wreath ceremony held every year at Arlington National Cemetery.

The wreath ceremony began in 1992, according to the Wreaths Across America Web Site, when about 5,000 Christmas wreaths were donated and laid across tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery. The same thing was done every year until 2005 when the deed received national attention from people wanting to do something similar for their national and state cemeteries.

Meanwhile, Tony Bilello, who helped organize the first-time event in Brooksville, said he hopes to see the event grow larger in the years to come.

"With the downtown parade and other things going on today, people were pulled in a lot of different directions," Bilello said. "But considering all the people these wreaths represent - that's worth more than a million people here today."

To learn more about Wreaths Across America, go to wreathsacrossamerica.org.