It’s easy to reflexively think of teenagers as young people who are almost always on social media sites or with electronic devices to their ears, but Christy Allen is hoping some of them will pause to hear a different tune.

“They don’t have to have their faces in their phones. There are more things out there,” said Allen, who’s with the Jackson-Milton Livestock 4-H Club.

One of the things out there is spending time considering, honoring and appreciating the sacrifices many of our nation’s veterans have made to preserve freedoms many people enjoy.

That was on Allen’s agenda during the annual Wreaths Across America for Veterans ceremony Saturday morning at North Jackson Cemetery on Salem-Warren Road.

The Wreaths Across America project is a national project to honor veterans for their service to the community.

Sponsoring the somber program were the Jackson Township Citizens Association and the local 4-H club.

An estimated 30 4-H members were among those who laid wreaths for service personnel of all military branches, said Allen, whose mother, retired Col. Patricia Brunner of Austintown, served about 15 years in the U.S. Air Force.

“I want to honor and give peace of mind for their families and show my appreciation for their sacrifices,” Allen said.

Despite a rain-snow mix, temperatures in the mid-30s and fog, she didn’t hesitate to place a Christmas wreath next to the headstone of Lawrence D. Cowen, a veteran who died in 2009 and is one of an estimated 315 service members buried in the cemetery.

All of them were to have wreaths laid next to their gravesites during the program.

The gathering also aligned with National Wreaths Across America Day as well as Christmas wreaths being laid to honor the fallen in Arlington National Cemetery, both of which were Saturday, noted Gary Hemphill, the citizens association’s president.

“We want to honor veterans and let them know we don’t forget about them at the holidays, too. We thank those who gave their lives so we can be free,” Hemphill said.

It’s also vital to bestow such honor upon service personnel who continue to serve the nation from near and afar to protect the country from terrorism and other threats, he continued.

Also among those who braved the elements was Jeanne Sudimak of the Citizens Association, who set a wreath with a red ribbon affixed next to Ralph C. McCorkle’s burial site. McCorkle, who died in 1988, was a World War II U.S. Army veteran.

Also during the ceremony that several dozen people attended, Lake Milton-based American Legion Post 737 conducted a military wreath placement next to the veterans memorial.

A wreath was placed on each of seven stands to honor veterans who served in each of the five major military branches, as well as those in the Merchant Marines. Also remembered were the estimated 93,129 Americans who are considered prisoners of war or are missing in action.

Several years ago, Fred Schrock, a veteran and North Jackson Citizens Association member, brought a program from the Ohio State Extension Program to the association for the OSEP to lay wreaths on veterans’ graves for two years, with the hope that a sponsor would be found.

The move resulted in the Citizens Association taking the initiative and partnering with the Jackson-Milton Livestock 4-H Club for the sponsorship.

Also Saturday at Girard Cemetery, holiday wreaths were placed on more than 275 markers. More than 50 people gathered at a ceremony, which was followed by community volunteers and family members of those buried there placing the wreaths on the graves.

Kathy Blackstone, of Blackstone Funeral Home, said the funeral home and Girard American Legion Post 235 teamed up to make sure the veterans have Christmas holiday wreaths. Local community members and organizations, including Girard Junior Women, purchased wreaths for the markers.

She said it is hoped the event can be an annual one.

“We have received a lot of support from the community for our first year holding this,” she said.

The goal of the program is to remember the fallen, honor those who served, and teach children the value of freedom.

In December 1992 in Harrington, Maine, wreath maker Morrill Worcester found himself with a surplus of 5,000 wreaths at the holiday season. He saw the surplus as an opportunity to pay tribute to the nation’s veterans and arranged for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington Cemetery.

In 2007, Wreaths Across America was formed to expand the effort of placing wreaths at cemeteries across the nation.

In 2018, volunteers placed 2 million wreaths at veterans’ graves at 1,600 locations, according to the program’s website.

Reporter Bob Coupland contributed to this story.

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