High-country honors for fallen veterans

Wreaths Across America made its way once again to the White Mountains of Arizona. At an elevation of about 6,800 feet, American Legion Post 86 in Heber-Overgaard has made the nationwide holiday remembrance an annual event in the mountain town of some 2,500 full-time residents. The tradition continued Dec. 19 for the post's American Legion Family.

“What I want to accomplish is the four pillars," explained Barby Bryant, who had participated in past Wreaths Across America events, but this was her first as American Legion Auxiliary Unit 86 president and organizer of the holiday activity. "We’re here to serve the community and veterans ... I do it solely out of respect for veterans."

The ceremony began in the parking lot of the post where dozens of American Legion Family members, Scouts and local residents gathered. After a 21-gun salute from the honor guard, members of the post representing each branch of the military placed a wreath at the base of a flag representing their branch.

After the ceremony, participants jumped in their cars and made their way over to the Heber-Overgaard Cemetery, located a bit off the paved roads on a snowy ponderosa-covered hillside.

The group gathered around a flagpole their American Legion Riders chapter had installed a few years earlier. The emcee outlined the mission ahead and introduced the honor guard for another 21-gun salute and taps.

Once that was done, everyone went over to the boxes. Members handed out wreaths, and participants fanned out. The gravemarkers of veterans were identified by small pipes, often used to hold flags, but in this case they helped identify markers in which to place wreaths. “Every grave that belongs to a veteran, we’ve installed an 1 1/2-inch PVC pipe with a red piece of tape around it so it can be easily seen," Bryant explained.

American Legion Family members moved in groups. Michael Murphy, a member of Post 86 and its American Legion Riders chapter, helped many of the Scouts place their wreaths by demonstrating the proper way to show respect for each marker. "We try to get the Boy Scouts involved with a lot of the stuff we do up here on the mountain to teach them respect for veterans and the military, and to maybe get them interested in being in the service later in life,” Murphy said.

It wasn’t long before all the wreaths were placed. “Our cemetery here in town is not a national cemetery ... it’s just a small town cemetery," Bryant observed after it was filled with wreaths for veterans laid to rest there. "But by the time we get done, it looks glorious."