Veterans remembered with wreaths for the holidays at cemeteries

James Martinelli kneeled on the grass at Long Island National Cemetery and placed his right hand on his son’s tombstone. He stood up, gazed at the wreath he had laid there earlier in the morning and proudly said his son’s name: “Anthony Michael.”

He saluted the grave and made the sign of the cross.

“That’s my boy,” he said.

Martinelli, 80, of Lindenhurst, was one of hundreds of volunteers who spread across the approximately 365-acre cemetery near Farmingdale on a bright, seasonably warm afternoon to lay thousands of wreaths as part of the annual National Wreaths Across America Day.

At more than 4,000 locations across the nation, including Calverton National Cemetery, volunteers placed the wreaths as a way to remember and honor veterans during the holiday season.

Martinelli visits the cemetery nearly twice a week, he said, to visit his son, who died in 2014 while serving in the U.S. Army. Anthony Michael Martinelli was 32.

“He was a kind soul,” his father said.

Seeing so many supporters fill the cemetery reminded him that his son will always be remembered, he said.

Remembering all the fallen veterans is at the heart of the mission for Wreaths Across America, a national nonprofit organization founded in 2007.

Courtney George, the location coordinator for Wreaths Across America at Long Island National Cemetery, said approximately 40,000 wreaths on trucks arrived early in the morning for volunteers to begin unloading in advance of a noon ceremony.

Volunteers were assigned to different sections of the vast cemetery. And within an hour of the start, large sections were filled with the green wreaths affixed with red bows.

George said Wreaths Across America’s goal is to “remember, honor and teach.”

“Remember those who served, honor those who are no longer with us and teach the next generation that freedom isn’t always free,” she said.

Robert Shelala, who serves in the Civil Air Patrol squadron based at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale, said the wreath laying is one of his favorite events of all the service work he does as part of the civilian auxiliary of the Air Force.

“It’s a way for us to pay our respects to people who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” he said. “For us, it’s a way of reminding us what our core mission is and reinvigorating that in all of us.”

Lynn Kavanagh, 65, of North Merrick, began her morning at Calverton National Cemetery where her husband, Michael, is buried. She then visited Long Island National Cemetery where her father, Albert Carl Weber, a corporal in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, and mother, Dolores Weber, are buried.

She said it’s important to remember them every day, “not just holidays.”

Toward the end of the ceremony, George continued an annual tradition of inviting any Gold Star family members to step to the podium to share the name of their loved one.

Martinelli was one of six people to solemnly announce their loved one to the teary-eyed crowd.

“Miss you son,” he said.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

---