(UPDATE: CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE DECEMBER 15th, 2018 WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA PROGRAM - Includes placing wreaths on Veterans' graves and the indoor commemoration ceremony.)

We are so excited to announce our WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA program, which actually began on 14 April 2018.

There are over 225 Veterans interred in the Historic cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church, "The Old White Church," 600 Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge.  But all of these graves were not identified.  Each spring, if the grave had a marker, a new flag would be placed there.  However if no marker existed, no flag could be found.  

In cooperation with the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 233, we decided to make sure each grave was properly identified.  This was a MUST because we also decided to register the church with the WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA program beginning December 2018.  BUT we had to find these interred Veterans and make certain each grave was properly labeled.  In doing so, the database of the Church would also be updated to carefully reflect all of these changes.

It didn't seem like such a grand undertaking, until we sat down with Bob Stephan, Clerk of Session, and found out that only about 145-150 flags were put out each spring and yet his church records reflected about 220, at the time!

Robin Goodrich, who is also an instructor with the NWS Earle Division Sea Cadets, contacted the Commanding Officer Rich Baumann, who suggested we find a Boy Scout who might be looking to take on this project as an Eagle Scout project and he just happened to know a Sea Cadet who fit the bill.  

Now enter John S., Boy Scout and Sea Cadet, and the work began.....

To make this long story a little shorter, John put together an AMAZING project, enlisting the help of Boy Scouts from Troop 44, NWS Earle Sea Cadets, VVA 233, our post, the Avenel VFW, Church members and other volunteers.  Approximately 65 - 70 people worked together on Saturday, 14 April to identify the missing Veterans, properly mark ALL of the graves and, in doing so, prepared the cemetery for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday by replacing all of the flags.  This time, over 200 flags were distributed through out the cemetery, making it obvious we had found some of our missing commrades.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO JOHN S. AND A GREAT JOB!

Soon ths project will be complete and we can begin our actual WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA project.  We will be publishing a lot of information about this project, looking for financial help and inviting you to our actual ceremony.  

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA, Saturday 15 December 2018, 1PM

First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge

Enjoy the pictures taken on 14 April.

On April 14th, 2018 a young American John S. worked on his Eagle Scout project.  With the aide of American Legion Post 471, Iselin, NJ, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 233, Metuchen, NJ, the United States Navy Sea Cadet Corp. from the Naval Weapons Station Earl Division, and his own Boy Scout Troop 44 of Edison, John and company identified almost 300 Veterans' graves in the cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge, AKA The White Church, on Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge, NJ.

All of the graves were marked with a Veteran's plaque and American Flag for Memorial Day.  Graves dated back from The Revolution and through the Vietnam War.

In December American Legion Post 471 and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 233 will be placing wreaths on all of the Veterans' graves in conjunction with the Wreaths Across America Program.

Job well done John!

Gene Bernhardt, Commander