John A. Ranum
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It was Memorial Day 1961. I was on guard at the Tomb, when the wreath laying ceremonies started. For about and hour and forty-five minutes they went on with many groups represented: Gold Star Mothers, American Legions, VFW Posts and others.
It was a special walk for me just to see how serious everyone was and to imagine what this place and this day meant to them. By the time the last wreath was place the Tomb was surrounded and it was beautiful.
During my next walk on one of my times at the north end of the mat, a man came up the steps from the front of the Tomb. In those days the chains went around the Tomb and mat, so there would be people all around, and the man was carrying a small canning type jar with some oak leafs and a bunch of roses. He stood and observed while I made a trip or two, and then reached over the chain and set his "wreath" among all previously placed wreaths.
It was a wreath laying with no ceremony, but I'm sure it meant as much to him as all the others did to their groups.
