Fair Lawn Lays Wreaths to Honor Veterans and Their Families

Borough officials laid wreaths Saturday as part of the national Wreaths Across America campaign that honors and remembers the service of United States military veterans during the holiday season.

About a dozen of Fair Lawn's living military veterans attended the ceremony, which was emceed by Deputy Mayor John Cosgrove. 

Resident Rich Seibel, who organized the borough's inaugural wreath-laying event, said keeping veterans in mind during the holiday season, when many are away from their families, is especially important.

“As a father of a marine who was over there during the holidays, we’re not having a hell of a lot of fun while our kids are overseas," said Seibel, whose son Jordan served in Afghanistan. "You’re hanging in your basement with your hands over your head thinking, 'Oh my god, just let the kid get home already.'”

Seibel said he discovered Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization that delivers wreaths to communities that wish to honor veterans, while his son was deployed.

"I came across the website Wreaths Across America, and I started looking at it and I thought, ‘This is a great idea,'" Seibel said. "I thought ‘Why doesn’t Fair Lawn do it?’ So I looked into it and it was pretty easy to get Fair Lawn involved."

Seibel signed the borough up to participate for the first time this year and the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine did the rest -- providing eight wreaths that were delivered Wednesday by an Arlington Cemetery-bound motorcycle convoy.

The wreaths, which have long symbolized eternal life and remembrance, were adorned with flags of the five military service branches, the Merchant Marine, POW-MIA and the Jewish War Veterans.

The borough hopes to turn the wreath-laying ceremony into an annual event.

Videographer Wayne Robbins, who attended Saturday's Wreaths Across America ceremony, interviewed its organizers and honorees for a video segment (See above). 

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