A Wreath for Our Veteran

CARIBOU, Maine (WAGM) - On Veterans Day folks gather at the Veteran Cemetery in Caribou to honor all Veterans with their own ceremony. Every year, on the 11 day of the 11 month the Veterans Cemetery in Caribou fills with folks and Veterans to honor those who have served and Veterans who have passed away.

Veteran, Roy Woods said, “We got over 2,000 veterans here now with their spouse and dependents with them and we’re very proud of this cemetery.”

Retired Staff Sergeant, Marcel Bosse attended the event to pay his respects and even set up a memorial to be seen by others who attended.

Bosse said, “It’s called a Combat Cross. It originally started in Vietnam where if a soldier passed away in a Unit they would have a unit gathering and they would have his weapon his helmet his boots and his dog tags hung over the weapon. And that would represent him. And they would have a ceremony for his passing.”

Each year they lay a wreath covered in red, white and blue. This wreath honors all Veterans who have served, are serving, or will serve. This year, however, they laid the wreath down in remembrance of one.

Retired First Sergeant, Roger Felix said, “This year was a little different. We decided to place the wreath in honor of a World War Two soldier who just recently passed away from our community.”

Roland Anderson from Caribou had made it to his 100th birthday. He fought in Patton’s army during the Battle of the Bulge to help liberate many people. Those who knew him describe him as heroic and humble.

Felix said, “But every time I ever asked him about his heroic actions in WWII he would always tell me what a lot of WWII guys would humbly would tell me -- that they were just one of many.”

Felix had requested a citation for Anderson from the National Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander to honor the Veteran’s 100th birthday.”

Felix said, “Unfortunately I got the citation two days after he passed away.”

That’s when Felix decided to talk to the Veteran Cemetery committee to discuss how to honor Anderson.

Felix said, “And so they were all like “Yeah this would be the greatest thing to do to honor Roland and in his memory lay the wreath in his name.”

And so they did.

Copyright 2023 WAGM. All rights reserved.