Briefing for the volunteers who will help clear away wreaths as part of Operation Clean Sweep is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 29 at the Veterans Memorial Plaza at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
Submitted photo
Volunteers sought to clear away wreaths on Jan. 29
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ANNVILLE — At Indiantown Gap National Cemetery more than 41,000 veterans’ wreaths were placed on Dec. 18, 2021. As we honor our veterans, we also honor Indiantown Gap National Cemetery grounds with a follow-up effort of wreath retirement or clean up.
Volunteers are needed on Jan. 29, 2022 to remove all Wreaths Across America wreaths from the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. There is very little parking at the Cemetery and all traffic will be directed from the flagpole. Volunteers are requested to park at the Fort Indiantown Gap Community Club at 9-65 Fisher Ave., Annville, PA 17003. A continuous shuttle will provide transportation to the Cemetery and return to the Community Club beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Please do NOT arrive extremely early and park along the Cemetery Roadway. Parking on the cemetery roadway causes congestion for the cleanup trucks/trailers and slows progress. A Volunteer Briefing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on the plaza of the PA Veterans Memorial. We will disseminate instructions on Operation Clean Sweep. If volunteers arrive later than 9 a.m., please report to the PA Veterans Memorial forsign in and directions.
Volunteers should prepare for the weather. It is recommended to dress warmly in clothes that may get soiled and wear comfortable shoes. This is an exceedingly physical job. In addition, only Service Dogs are permitted on Cemetery ground. DO bring long poled leaf rakes or brooms, tarps, plastic toboggans/sleds to collect and move the wreaths.
To facilitate this process, we need low-profile dump trucks and dump or low trailers. Only trucks with low and long beds are useful in this cleanup process. We do appreciate all offers of other type trucks however, based on past experience it tends to impede the process. Please do NOT bring triaxle trucks or pick-up trucks. ATV’s or motorized trail vehicles are NOT permitted on Cemetery grounds.
There is no age limit. Volunteering is part of teaching our future generations the value of honoring our heroes. We just ask, that if you bring young folks, that you direct them, and they be with you at all times
As beautiful as these wreaths are, we do not want to burden the cemetery staff with the clean up process. Operation Clean Sweep relies on volunteers to remove the wreaths from graves pursuant to IGNC policy to be shredded and all materials recycled. Again this year, we are blessed to have Zwicky Processing & Recycling provide dumpsters and recycling of wreaths.