Restoration References
~ Background on the ongoing efforts to restore the ABMC Flower Program ~
This page has one objective: to provide an increasing and varied stream of sentiments (from many directions) suggesting the restoration of the ABMC Flower Program.
The quiet removal (in 2015) of this highly important, highly successful, nearly 70-year-old program ~ allowing Gold Star families to individually and personally acknowledge and remember their loved ones on personal days (as well as on generic ones) was a blow to us. Our fathers and loved ones are among the last of the many THOUSANDS of Americans who were KIA or lost in WWI and WWII and who were buried or remembered in one of the 26 overseas American cemeteries that are cared for with such dignity by the ABMC (American Battle Monuments Commission), an agency of the Executive Branch.
Retired General Tommy Franks well stated the premise of the restoration request:
Team Leader Bob Holliday outlines the situation:
Team Member Susan Hadler (an AWON First Founder) conveys the sentimental side of Floral Remembrance:
We sadly note that after becoming deeply involved in the restoration effort ~ Susan was lost to us ~ as she passed away on July 19, 2019.
A letter of support from AWON:
The 6 Reasons the ABMC gave us for ending the Flower Program
With permissions . . .
In more recent years ~ the ABMC began adding personal NOTES to the arrangements they placed and photographed.
MANY more references on this issue are here:
Other references (from literally dozens of candidates) are currently being considered ~ as we are Americans ~ our fathers deserve easy recognition ~ and we are not going away.
Fathers of the Restoration Team:
Links to the Tributes for the men above:
Cpt. Karl O. “Hap” Holliday: https://www.awon.org/holliday
2LT David Selby Johnson, Jr.: http://www.awon2.org/fathers/awjohnson.html
CPL Frank Maynard “Bud” Elliott: https://www.awon.org/elliott
1LT Hanford “Rusty” James Rustand: https://www.awon.org/rustand
1LT John Silas Sheffield Peirson: https://www.awon.org/peirson