WILLIAMSBURG — Williamsburg was a stop on the list for the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit on July 7, offering visitors access to its mobile museum in Merchants Square.
Robin Doucette, Regent for the Williamsburg Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), worked for two years to get the mobile education exhibit to visit Williamsburg as the museum tours the country.
“Under the umbrella of patriotism of the DAR, we focus a lot on active duty military and veterans. Wreaths Across America is right in our sweet spot. I found out about this mobile education unit and I said ‘we have to bring this to Williamsburg.’ I submitted a request to have the museum come to Williamsburg and we really thought we weren’t going to get it again this year,” Doucette said.
That changed about eight weeks ago, when Doucette got a call that the museum was going to be in Norfolk on July 6 and Washington D.C. on July 9.
“They asked if they could come to Williamsburg and I said absolutely,” Doucette said.
The mobile museum is an offshoot project of Wreaths Across America. Wreaths Across America is predominantly known as an organization that places wreaths on all military graves in the US during the holiday season. In 2022, 2,705,000 wreaths were laid at 3,702 cemeteries across the nation.
Father/son duo Andy and Stephen Tatum drive the exhibit to all its stops. The two participate in the program in honor of their son/brother Daniel who was killed in 2007 at Camp Pendleton, serving as a U.S. Marine.
For the Tatums, it’s a family affair — and one that they feel honored to be a part of.
“As I’m here, I am meeting people who may have also lost someone. I’m 34 and when I’m in front of a 75-year-old Marine, who served two tours in Vietnam, and he’s treated horribly. That was before my time, but for me to be here to meet him and welcome him home, that right there makes it all worth it,” Stephen Tatum said.
The museum showcases the three-part mission of Wreaths Across America: Remember, Honor, Teach. There are various seven- to eight-minute films that play in the theater of the exhibit. The museum also teaches about the history of Wreaths Across America and how the project has grown.
To honor veterans and their families, Wreaths Across America has made a secondary mission of welcoming home all the veterans from the Vietnam War. Veterans and families of those who served in the Vietnam War are encouraged to write the name of the soldier, airman, or sailor on the welcome home board in the museum. The boards with all the names will then be transferred to the Wreaths Across America museum in Maine.
According to Stephen, he loves meeting veterans of all kinds as they come through the mobile exhibit.
“It’s a very humbling experience, but very rewarding at the same time. When you connect with veterans, not everyone will have that same connection that you do. Being a gold star family, I have a tight connection with people who come through this exhibit. I still don’t know how to put into words what talking to some of these people is like,” Tatum said.
While the weather was hot, Doucette and the other members of the Williamsburg DAR were busy informing any passerby that the museum was on site. Doucette was proud of the turnout, despite the high temperatures.
“Our children need to learn that freedom is not free. I wanted people to come visit and hear firsthand the sacrifices that these men and women have made for our country. It’s a very powerful museum and it’s not something that words can easily describe. It may be hot out but those men and women stand in the heat for hours at a time to protect my freedom, I can stand outside in the heat and encourage visitors to check out the museum, it’s the least that I can do,” Doucette said.
Doucette was equally grateful to Williamsburg Downtown and Merchants Square for co-sponsoring the museum’s visit.
The Williamsburg Chapter of the DAR is currently working on getting wreath sponsorships for Wreaths Across America day on Dec. 16. The Williamsburg chapter will lay 500 wreaths on graves at the Cedar Grove Cemetery to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. While each wreath is laid, the name of the person buried there will be said out loud, to never forget their sacrifice.
“I’m proud to be an American. I thank God that I was born here. I want to thank these men and women who have served. I want to honor them. I think it’s very important that, as Wreaths Across America has said, ‘as long as their names are said, they will not be forgotten’, I want to say the names and honor them myself,” Doucette said.
To find out more information on the Williamsburg DAR’s efforts to raise money for wreaths, visit this link. For more information on Wreaths Across America, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
