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By KEITH EDWARDS
Staff Writer 12/06/2007

Staff Writer

Larry and Gisela Dearborn's red-white-and-blue limousine, emblazoned with a giant American flag, is a hard-to-miss fixture at parades, veterans' events, and anywhere else flags are waving.

And it has one more trip before being put away for the winter.

This one's no parade route through town, either. The Dearborns are joining the Patriot Guard Riders on a seven-day trip to escort a convoy of vehicles bringing 10,000 donated Maine wreaths to be placed on graves at Arlington National Cemetery.

Along the way, the convoy, led by Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company, will stop at numerous schools and veterans' homes to give out wreaths and talk about the country's war veterans.

The Dearborns and many other volunteers participating are paying their own way. The Dearborns anticipate the trip will cost them around $1,500.

"That's our Christmas gift to ourselves," Larry Dearborn said. "We won't have the $1,500 anymore, but we'll have about 300 photos and lots of memories under the tree."

Worcester Wreaths, of Harrington, is also donating 2,500 wreaths to the Maine Veterans' Cemetery at Togus; and more than 1,800 ceremonial wreaths, representing all branches of the armed forces, will be sent to more than 200 other state and national veterans' cemeteries across the country.

Information on the wreaths project is available online at www.wreathsacrossamer ica.org

Nationwide wreath-laying ceremonies are planned for noon Dec. 15, including a ceremony in Arlington at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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