EPHRATA - The Columbia Basin Composite Squadron held its annual Holiday and Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 to celebrate 81 years of the Civil Air Patrol. They will also be visiting area cemeteries this weekend to place fresh wreaths on veterans’ graves.

“Support of the community has been huge,” said Squadron Commander Maj. Jerome Bonneville at the banquet. “We used to be the best-kept secret in the country.”

Bonneville said that they are no longer a secret due to the positive example set by the cadets and joked that people would soon see him walking around with pom poms because he wants to be a cheerleader for the squadron.

“It’s something to brag about, it really truly is,” said Bonneville. “This is an outstanding organization, these are outstanding young people…these are not the kids you see standing on the street corner getting in trouble. These are the future of our community and our country – our future leaders. They’re the cream of the crop, the ones that we have in this organization, and I'm very proud to be their leader.”

The banquet featured the squadron cadets, their families and a few special guests who were recognized for their support of the local squadron.

“The support of this (squadron), they’re definitely servant leaders,” said Bonneville. “And I see that with our guests that are here - the mayor, the chiefs, leaders of the different organizations in town that are supporting us - they are servant leaders. They’re all here, not here for themselves but to serve others and that’s what makes this community strong and what makes me proud of it.”

Cadet 2nd Lt. Ben Belino, who was seriously injured in a car accident in October, joined via video from his hospital room and many cadets and their families enjoyed being able to speak with him during the banquet.

After dinner, cadets performed a flag folding ceremony where three cadets folded an American flag while a fourth explained the meaning of each fold to the audience. Once the flag was properly folded, it was presented to Ephrata Mayor Bruce Reim. Reim said the city will hold a special ceremony at a later date to raise and fly the flag at city hall.

Then came the moment many cadets were waiting for, the award presentations and promotion ceremony.

While the squadron has been up to many different things this year, one of their more recent endeavors has been selling wreaths to lay on local veterans’ graves in honor of Wreaths Across America Day.

In 2021, they placed 630 wreaths on veterans’ graves between three northern Columbia Basin cemeteries. This year, they will be placing almost 800 wreaths. They will place the wreaths at the Ephrata cemetery at 10 a.m. and the Soap Lake and Quincy Valley cemeteries simultaneously at 1 p.m. on Dec. 17.

Cadet Program Activities Officer Kathy Maxwell said the public is invited and encouraged to participate in any of the wreath-laying ceremonies.

She also noted that Wreaths Across America, from Dec. 18 until Jan. 15, will match any wreath purchased during that time for next year’s WAA Day. Wreaths are $15 each but $5 of that cost goes directly to support the local squadron.

Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at rpettignill@columbiabasinherald.com.

Want to do or know more?

To purchase a wreath visit: wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/22620

For questions, contact Cadet Program Activities Officer Kathy Maxwell: kathy.maxwell@wawg.cap.gov

360-951-6719.