D.C. National Guard members visit hallowed ground for Wreaths Across America event

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Army 1st Sgt. Deborah Garrott, District of Columbia Guardsman, places a wreath on the gravesite of Spc. Darryl T. Dent. Dent was killed on August 26, 2003 in Southeast Arimadi, Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC (12/13/2011)(readMedia)-- Guided by something deeper than patriotism alone, dozens of Capital Guardians and their friends and family members carried wreaths as they walked with purpose through Arlington National Cemetery during Wreaths Across America's National Remembrance Ceremony the morning of Dec. 10.

Passing graves of fallen heroes and stories that are known by so few, the group of Capital Guardians arrived at a section set aside as the final resting place for those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. There, Sgt. Maj. Michael Brooks, 372nd Military Police Battalion, stopped at a grave and told the story of Sgt. 1st Class Robin L. Towns, a Capital Guardian killed in Iraq by an improvised explosive device in October 2007, only nine days into the deployment.

"He was a good man," said Brooks, standing beside Towns' grave after placing a wreath there. "A lot of soldiers looked up to him. Although his death is tragic, I know that his death saved many lives that year. ...You pay your respects but the mission must go on. D.C. did that very well. Overall, the mission was very successful."

Later, the same Capital Guardians walked a short distance to lay a wreath at the grave of Spc. Darryl Dent, who was killed by an IED while serving with the 547th Transportation Company in Iraq in August 2003.

Brooks, who spent five years working with the Old Guard at Fort Myer, said he was involved in burying over 30 soldiers at Arlington and most "died well before their time. It's important to remember them."

Standing beside Dent's grave, Lt. Gen. Raymond Mason, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, G-4 (Logistics), said, "The most powerful weapon that a soldier, a sailor, an airman, a Marine -- can take into battle is the support of the American people."

This ceremony, he said, is a show of that support.

Land Component Command Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Espinosa was responsible for recruiting Capital Guardians and other volunteers to lay wreaths for the ceremony that was started by a Maine businessman in 1992. Espinosa said over 80 Capital Guardians, including their friends and family, joined the thousands of civilians and military personnel from all over the country that volunteered.

"This makes me feel proud to be an American," Espinosa said. "We need to let the community know that the District of Columbia National Guard is here supporting them. We are here for the citizens of the National Capital Region and the District of Columbia."

The annual wreath-laying ceremony, held on the second Saturday in December each year, has been designated by Congress as "Wreaths Across America Day." Trucks embark from Harrington, Maine, carrying enough wreaths to cover every grave at the cemetery. The journey, taking six days, has become known as the world's largest veterans' parade and includes stops at schools, monuments and veterans' homes along the route to Arlington.

The mission of the event is "Remember, Honor, Teach."

Sgt. Gale Mitchell, DCNG Joint Force Headquarters, said this year was the first time she participated in this event but that she will make it a tradition.

"I chose to do it to serve my country," Mitchell said. "It was well worth it. Even when I retire, I will still be a part of this."

Photos by Staff Sgt. G.H. Cureton, 715th Public Affairs Detachment