Brownwood’s Daughters of the Republic of Texas will pay tribute to 2,000 Texas heroes this Saturday, Dec.13, 10 a.m., when they lead community members in laying wreaths on Brown County veteran’s graves at historic Greenleaf Cemetery.
To bring distinction to the local heroes, Daughters affiliated with Wreaths Across America, (WAA) a non-profit organization with the mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach. WAA is known for coordinating the annual placement of fresh balsam wreaths on veterans’ graves at thousands of locations nationwide and abroad.
Everyone is invited to the rewarding event, which will take place at the original entrance to historic Greenleaf Cemetery, located on Texas Street.
A short patriotic tribute precedes the main event of wreath-laying, with the posting of the colors on horseback, music by the Coggin Elementary sixth grade choir, and storytelling by Thomas Lee Stalcup, a descendant of four Brownwood veterans buried at Greenleaf.
Stalcup’s talk is titled, “Remember The Rapido River.” The speaker’s veteran father, uncle, and two grandfathers all lay at rest at Greenleaf. His veteran kinfolk served in the Spanish American War, World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War.
Stalcup will discuss how he tracked down National Archives records about his uncle John S. “Jake” Palmer, a member of the 36th Infantry Division (“T-Patch”) that trained at Brownwood’s Camp Bowie. The 36th suffered colossal losses at Italy’s Rapido River in Italy.
“Uncle Jake” is now celebrated with a plaque at the 36th Division War Memorial Park in Camp Bowie.
“Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are gratified to honor all our Greenleaf veterans in 2025,” said Dr. Julie Welker, president of the Brownwood DRT. Welker added that DRT is counting on a good turnout from the community to help place all 2,000 wreaths. “We can now recognize every one of them at this year’s event.”
Volunteers are still being sought to help lay the wreaths, for those interested.
Following the brief opening ceremony, the audience will be directed to take the wreaths to veterans’ graves that are marked with small fluorescent flags. At the grave, participants are to say the veteran’s name, thank them for their service, and place the wreath on the headstone.
