North Texas family asks for wreath donations to honor fallen veterans
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — For Chris Bush and his family, DFW National Cemetery is more than a place to visit. It's the final resting place for his son, Cpl. Peter Courcy, who died in Afghanistan in 2009.
"We look at this cemetery, and we just see a big monument for service," Bush said.
That Christmas, they wanted to give back to their son and so many others. They learned about a national organization called Wreaths Across America that allows people to sponsor wreaths to hang on the graves of fallen heroes.
"I said, 'Well, how many did you get last year?' And the answer was zero. So we just thought, we want to change that."
By 2019, they had raised enough money to place a wreath on every grave at DFW National Cemetery.
"That was an 11-year goal, so that was pretty awesome."
It's a goal they strive for every year.
As of November 25th, they've sponsored enough wreaths to cover about 60% of the 51,000 they need. They're hoping to get there by the first week of December in advance of the national wreath-laying event on December 17th.
"It's a community effort. The community donates the wreaths. The community lays the wreaths, and the community picks up the wreaths," Bush said.
He said it's also a teaching opportunity for the younger generation, as well as a way everyone, whether donor or volunteer, can show gratitude over the holiday season.
"When I see all of those wreaths, all of those people, and all of those donations, I just think that's how we should be thanking our service people."
Wreaths are $15 each, and, for every two purchased, Wreaths for America will donate three wreaths. You can donate by
texting WREATH1 to 20222 or by going online.