PRINCETON — Former President Ronald Reagan once reminded America, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

United States veterans are ones who stood and fought to protect that freedom, and the Mercer County Civil Air Patrol volunteers have embarked on a new mission to honor that great gift during the season of giving.

This Christmas, the local CAP aims to expand Wreaths Across America to Princeton, bringing 700 live wreaths to decorate American veterans’ graves in Resthaven Memorial Park.

Wreaths Across America began in 1992 as a businessman’s quiet dedication to military men and women buried in Arlington National Cemetery. That first year, Morrill Worcester donated and placed 5,000 wreaths on gravesites inside the cemetery, and he continued for several years, drawing little notice. In 2005, a photo of the snow-covered cemetery and the wreaths circulated on the Internet and prompted thousands of requests from individuals and groups coast to coast who wanted to emulate the project that started from one man’s desire to give back.

Worcester wasn’t able to send thousands of wreaths to all 50 states, but he wanted to help each one. So, he compromised and vowed to get each state’s project rolling by donating seven wreaths — one for each branch of the military and another to represent prisoners of war or missing soldiers.

In 2006, there were more than 150 wreath-laying ceremonies conducted simultaneously, and in 2007, Worcester created the non-profit organization now known as Wreaths Across America.

By 2008, the numbers expanded to 300 sites, including every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries. The mission is simple: Remember, honor and teach.

Princeton has never been counted among the Wreaths Across America sites, but that will all change soon.

“This year, wreaths will be placed on veterans’ gravesites at Resthaven Memorial Park and possibly Oakwood Ceme-tery in Princeton to symbolically honor all veterans in the area,” CAP Major Jim Coiner said this week. “Following the placement of the wreaths on Dec. 12, at 12 noon, there will be a ceremony at Resthaven to honor our veterans for our freedom.”

Purchasing the wreaths will be the hardest part of the program, Coiner said.

In order to meet the financial task, the Mercer CAP is seeking $15 sponsorships for the wreaths. Of that total, $10 will be used to purchase the wreath, and $5 will benefit the CAP Cadet program for young men and women ages 12-18 who are interested in search and rescue, aerospace education and homeland security.

Splitting the benefit honors past veterans and helps pave the way for new service men and women, Coiner explained.

“The purpose is not to serve as a fundraiser. The purpose is to honor veterans,” he said.

For more information on Wreaths Across America, wreathsacrossamerica.org. To help sponsor wreaths locally, contact Coiner at (304) 384-7033.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.