Dobbins Airmen participate in Wreaths Across America Ceremony Published Dec. 16, 2010 By Master Sgt. Stan Coleman Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Three 94th Airlift Wing Airmen helped to commemorate the service of Georgia veterans buried at the historic South View Cemetery in Atlanta on Dec. 11 by gathering with relatives and friends of the deceased to participate in a national wreath laying ceremony. The ceremony was part of a national event sponsored by the Wreaths Across America organization. Captain Darrell Bogan, 94th Equal Opportunity officer, and 94th Operations Support Squadron Master Sgts. Michael Varnado, aircrew life support NCO, and Tracy Bridges, intelligence applications NCO, participated with military veterans, and local Army Junior ROTC and Civil Air Patrol cadets to honor the military service and sacrifices of veterans who have served, or are deceased, or are still serving today. Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit wreath sponsorship campaign that was started more than 19 years ago to honor the service of deceased military veterans. Ceremonies took place in more than 200 national and state veterans' cemeteries across the United States on Dec. 11. Captain Bogan and Sergeant Varnado presented the opening and closing remarks during the ceremony. Sergeant Bridges presented the wreath that represented the Air Force. Seven ceremonial wreaths were presented during the ceremony to remember all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Marines. Merchant Marine and POW/MIA wreaths were also presented. The Dobbins Airmen also laid commemorative wreaths at the gravesites of two Tuskegee Airmen who served during World War II. The first Tuskegee Airman honored was 1st Lt. Walter D. Westmoreland--a pilot who was killed in combat while returning from an escort mission to Germany on Oct. 13, 1944. Lieutenant Westmoreland earned his pilot wings at Tuskegee, Ala. in 1944. The second honored Tuskegee Airman is Lt. Horace A. Bohannon, a flight officer who earned his pilot wings at Tuskegee in 1944. Lieutenant Bohannon and 15 other African American World War II Army Air Corps veterans founded the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. organization in 1976. The South View Cemetery Association and Historic South-View Preservation Foundation hosted the wreath-laying event at the historic Atlanta cemetery that was chartered in 1886 as a final resting place for African Americans. Sergeant Varnado, a native of Louisiana, expressed his feelings regarding his first exposure to the Wreaths Across America event and the South View Cemetery. "For me, the wreath-laying and presentation ceremony provided a deeply rooted historical feeling," he said. "This was the first wreath-laying event at the South View Cemetery--it gave me a feeling of destiny. On occasion, military members may feel that their service is not recognized. "The Dec. 11 ceremony showed that the service of veterans is appreciated--past, present and future," concluded Sergeant Varnado. (Tuskegee Airmen historical information was provided by Ms. Zellie Orr, Tuskegee Airman historian.)
