Veterans at the Library is proud to be named a top group in Georgia for Wreaths Across America

Thanks to local support, “Veterans at the Library” placed 2100 veterans’ wreaths at Emanuel County Cemeteries

Each year, national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) recognizes top sponsorship groups for excellence in serving their local community while helping to share the yearlong mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. Among the thousands of supportive groups honoring locally interred veterans through wreath sponsorships, WAA recently awarded special recognition to Veterans at the Library as one of the outstanding groups in Georgia. Of the 267 Sponsorship groups in Georgia, Veterans at the Library and Emanuel County was ranked 5th in the state.

“It’s going to get bigger,” said Johnny Tapley. Tapley was one of the few veterans that spearheaded the wreath movement in Emanuel County three years ago. Since the humble beginnings with only 13 wreaths, and a vision to place a wreath on every veteran’s grave in Emanuel County, the Veterans at the Library have identified over 180 cemeteries and 2540 veterans’ graves. There are about 60 cemeteries that need to be catalogued, and graves identified, but it is ongoing.

If your church, or organization would like to be a part of the Veterans at the Library effort, we could use help as cemetery coordinators. Our local churches that have cemeteries could have a coordinator and take responsibility for their own cemetery. The same could be said for the many private cemeteries that we have in the county. Emanuel County is unique with the number of cemeteries that we have in this county. Our goal is to be able to place a wreath on every veteran’s grave in the county in the next few years and beyond.

Since its founding in 2007, WAA has collaborated with hundreds of like-minded organizations, volunteers, and civic groups nationwide to remember and honor our nation’s veterans. Veterans at the Library was able to honor 2100 servicemembers laid to rest at Emanuel County Cemeteries. Thanks to local support, this group displayed Emanuel County’s pride in our veterans at a national level.

You can help support Veterans at the Library’s efforts by sponsoring a veteran’s wreath for placement on National Wreaths Across America Day 2025 – Saturday, December 13. Please contact Shari Watt at the Franklin Memorial Library at 478-237-7791 if you would like to sponsor one of the remaining 60 cemeteries. It’s easy and we will be glad to help you in anyway.