HKS DC Alumni Support Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery

Many thanks to the couple dozen HKS-affiliates who bundled up and bore the cold in order to lay wreaths at Arlington this past Saturday. HKS was well represented among the hundreds of volunteers who placed donated wreaths one by one on veteran graves and honored their sacrifices by stating their names out loud. At the non-denominational Wreaths Across America the thinking is that each veteran dies twice: the moment they take their last breath and then again the last time their name is ever spoken, so the organization encourages every volunteer to speak their name as a small act that goes a long way toward keeping their memory alive. As Karen Worcester, Executive Director explains “We are not here to “decorate graves." "We're here to remember not their deaths, but their lives.”

The ceremony began with a military flyover. During the proceedings, President Trump was flown over in Marine One as well. Once all the wreaths were placed, the HKS group walked the few miles to the Ritz and enjoyed a complimentary buffet breakfast where they warmed up over some great conversation and gastronomic delights.