On a frigid December day at a nondescript tract of seemingly barren land, Homeland Hospice volunteers placed ceremonial wreaths and flags throughout Dauphin County Cemetery in honor of Wreaths Across America Day. This annual event brings together more than two million volunteers in all 50 states, at sea and abroad. For the Homeland team, the day’s purpose is summed up on a simple stone which marks the entrance to the cemetery, “Every life has a story.”
Dauphin County Cemetery, also known as a Potter’s Field, has served as the final resting place for those who have nowhere else to go for more than 150 years. While grave records and markers are sparce, one of the earliest markers is dated July 20, 1870.
This year’s wreath laying ceremony began around one grave marked with a headstone and flag for World War II Navy Veteran Frank Bakanus, Jr., from Derry Township. He is the only known veteran who has been identified and given a veteran marker on his grave. It has become a beloved tradition to place a special wreath on Frank’s grave marker. While Frank is the only known veteran identified, many unidentified veterans are interred at the cemetery.
For Stephen Holmes, a veteran, commander and chaplain of American Legion Post 733, the day is an honor and privilege.
“I volunteer to show my respect for our veterans,” Stephen says. “They have done so much for all of us.”
Stephen has been actively involved with Homeland for many years. Every Veterans Day he leads students from the Nativity School Color Guard to present and retire the colors during a special ceremony at Homeland Center. Since retiring from his job, Stephen finds giving back to others lifts his heart and gives him purpose.
“I love connecting with others,” Stephen adds. “The best things in life are free.”
Homeland partners with the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office to recognize this humble site. Since 1990, the Dauphin County Coroner and Forensic Center have been led by Graham Hetrick who is optimistic his office will be able to identify more individuals interred at the cemetery. Recent grants from the Pennsylvania State Police will help the Coroner’s Office use technology and genealogy sites to provide names to those buried at the cemetery.
While the Homeland team hopes to know the individuals and stories of those interred at the cemetery, the tradition of honoring the sanctity of life and the service of our veterans speaks to the heart of Homeland’s history and mission. In fact, the team selected the Dauphin County Cemetery because of its similarities to Homeland, which was founded in 1867 as the Home for the Friendless following the devastation caused by the Civil War.
Homeland has a long and proud history of honoring those who served our country. The organization is part of the national We Honor Veterans program, which works to improve the quality of health care for all veterans. An extension of the program is Homeland’s Vet to Vet Café, which gives veterans and family members of those who served an opportunity to share their memories at monthly gatherings held in Homeland Center’s 1950s-style Olewine Diner.
To learn more about Homeland Center contact (717) 221-7900.
