Wreaths Across America Hosts COP Summit Ahead of Annual Wreath Escort to Arlington


Aside from the frequent sniffles brought on by tears of heartache, you could have heard a pin drop in the room as they listened. They heard the pain and empathized with the grief of American Gold Star families who came to share the stories of their loved ones lost while serving our nation.

Maine Law Enforcement personnel attending the annual Convoy Officers’ Patriotic Summit at the Wreaths Across America headquarters, some of them military veterans, sat in a circle of love, camaraderie, and raw emotion as they gave these families their undivided attention. These officers learned about the “dash.” They quickly realized that the December Wreath Escort to Arlington National Cemetery was much more than a big parade escort with flashing lights and sirens.

“It was another Gold Star mother, Pam Stemple, who said it to me,“ Gold Star Mother Mona Gunn explained the “dash” to the group. “You see, when you look at a headstone, there’s the date of birth, a dash, then the date of death. That dash represents the life lived in between. We don’t want you to remember how they died; we want you to remember how they lived. That’s what’s important.”

The COPS Summit is held under the guidance of Wreaths Across America’s Law Enforcement Liaison Westbrook Maine Police Chief (Ret.) Janine Roberts, a.k.a. “Cupcake.”  Janine works with her LEO Escort Planning team on coordinating travel and safety logistics as the escort makes stops at schools and veterans’ organizations with the mission to remember, honor, and teach.

Their professionalism, coordination, attention to detail, and communications make traveling over a thousand miles from Maine to Arlington, Virginia, look easy. It is not, and then the unpredictable weather in December makes the escort's safe journey even more challenging. Janine shared the 2021 statistics with the COPS group. Remember when she said “vehicles,” twelve or thirteen are tractor-trailer rigs filled with veterans wreaths, Chevy-wrapped SUVs, and a tour bus. 

  • Convoy:
    • 55+ vehicles
    • 125-150 people
    • 8 days / 1000 miles
    • 22 Wreaths Across America ceremonial stops
    • Six remote parking for tractor trailers
    • Six hotel parking
    • Nine states and Washington DC
    • 21 police vehicles in convoy / 30+ officers
    • The team of Maine LEOs works cooperatively with LEOs from multiple jurisdictions in nine states and Washington D.C.

      Perhaps one of the most poignant pieces of advice offered to the LEOs during the summit came from Gold Star Mother Joyce Richmond. The officers listened and took it to heart. “Many people don’t know what a Gold Star parent is, and when they learn what that means, they often hesitate to speak to them because they don’t know what to say or they’re afraid they’ll open up old wounds,” Joyce explained. “That’s not the case. Just say hello, I’m so and so, and I’d like to get to know you and hear about your child. We love to talk about them.” Gold Star Mother Dolly Sullivan reinforced that notion. “Gold Star parent's biggest fear is that their son or daughter will be forgotten.”

      In addition to the sharing session with Gold Star families, LEOs learned that the Wreaths Across America mission is a mindset, not just a one-day event in December. They placed replica dog tags as part of the Remembrance Tree Program.

      The Escort LEO planning team consists of Westbrook, Maine Chief (ret.) Janine Roberts, Sgt. Brian Hink-MSP, Lt. Jason Madore-MSP, Portland, Maine PD Officer Kevin Haley, Bridgton, Maine PD Officer Michael Chaine, and Cumberland, Maine PD Officer Nick D’Ascanio. They work with Wreaths Across America’s Events Coordinator, Tiffany Strout, on escort planning which is well underway as we work toward National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday, December 17, 2022.

      Wreaths Radio shares more about these men and women of law enforcement in our weekly segment, A Salute to Excellence, heard every Monday at 7:15 AM (Eastern)