Many Honor Flight volunteers joined us in December to participate in National Wreaths Across America Day and helped to lay wreaths on thousands of graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Please join us to help clean up the wreaths on Saturday, January 23, 2016!

If you’re interested in volunteering, JUST SHOW UP! We need volunteers — even more than we did in December!!

– Taking Metro is advised. Only vehicles with Permanent Arlington National Cemetery Family Gravesite Passes and those with valid Handicap Permits will be allowed to park in the visitors lot at Arlington. You can either take the Blue Line to the Arlington National Cemetery stop, or you can take the Silver, Orange, or Blue Lines to Rosslyn and walk about 1 mi.

– A map of the cemetery and surrounding area is here: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/ANCExplorer if you want a pick a section to meet your friends.

– At 8:30 a.m., there will be a brief instructional briefing at the McClellan Arch, which is located on McClellan Drive and off Eisenhower Drive (between Sections 33 and 12). Wreath clean-up will begin at about 8:45 a.m.

– We will be asked to pick up ONLY THOSE WREATHS placed by Wreaths Across America and leave any other wreaths and decorations in place. Dumpsters will be dispersed throughout the cemetery, where we will dispose of the wreaths we remove.

– Volunteers have found it helpful to bring long broomsticks, rakes, ropes, or poles of some sort, to thread multiple wreaths on at the same time and carry them to the dumpsters. (Last year, I brought my telescoping snow brush from my car, and that worked well!)

– You’re encouraged to wear gloves and waterproof footwear.