This year, as in years past, the AHEPA Family will continue the traditional wreath laying at the graves of 597 Hellenes and Phil-Hellenes interred at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreath laying is scheduled on Saturday May 25th, 2019 and will be carried out by the Washington Area AHEPA Family members who have undertaken this solemn task every year since 1949. The wreath laying requires advance assignment of volunteers to specific Cemetery Regions consistent with the number of grave sites identified in each Region. This facilitates the orderly conduct of the preparations as well as the actual wreath laying and should minimize confusion and uncertainty.

We urge all AHEPA, Daughters, Sons and Maids members to participate in this patriotic event. Please e-mail or call Demosthenes Kolaras, AHEPA Chapter 31 Secretary, with the names of volunteers by Friday May 17th 2019 at [email protected] or [email protected]. Volunteers will be assigned based on the names provided by the Chapter Presidents. Individuals who commit to this event, are expected to present themselves and be prepared to conduct the Wreath Laying on Saturday, May 25th. This will prevent last minute volunteers who cause confusion, unnecessary requests for instructions and delay all those who arrive well informed and prepared to carry out the task.

Leaders of each Region are asked to collect the wreaths and the instruction binders for their Region from Saint Sophia Cathedral on Thursday afternoon May 23rd or on Friday May 24th. The Leaders are expected to review the Wreath Laying procedures with their volunteers using the attached Arlington Cemetery Briefing, well before we arrive at the Cemetery. They should also assign volunteers to specific Cemetery Sections within their Region. Spreadsheet assignments of volunteers will be communicated to the Leaders well before we conduct the event. We anticipate that the Cemetery authorities may restrict the number of vehicles permitted entry to the Cemetery. Leaders are encouraged to use the parking lots at Saint Sophia Cathedral, and at Saint Katherine to promote carpooling.

All wreath laying volunteers will meet near the entrance to Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Drive, adjacent to the SEABEE Memorial at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday, May 25th. The cemetery authorities have directed this change in the time. After brief instructions and picture taking, we will proceed to the Cemetery equipped with the wreaths to carry out our solemn task. We anticipate that our Supreme President will participate in the wreath laying.