One wreath had special meaning for Susan Fanning of Cranston. It was no different than 250 other wreaths placed Saturday on grave markers at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery in Exeter, only it was placed on the marker of her father and mother. With a cold wind at her back, Fanning stood to one side while two members of the Rhode Island Wing of the Civil Air Patrol in smart military fashion marched to the marker, placed the wreath and stood back to salute. In unison they turned and left. Fanning kneeled before the stone, ran her hand over the etched lettering and cried. She was not alone. Family and friends of veterans across the state packed the cemetery chapel for the third annual Wreaths Across America ceremony held in Rhode Island. Brushing her tears aside, Fanning said, “His joy was his American Flag.” Her father, Joseph Maiorano, was a radio operator in the Army during World War II. She said he would not even buy a flag if it was not made in America. “He was the actual phrase when they say ‘Proud to be an American.’” Maiorano’s contribution and that of veterans was the theme to the 45-minute chapel ceremony. “Lying here before us and in cemeteries throughout this nation are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom and without fear,” said Ed King, Ride Captain for the Rhode Island Patriot Guard, in the opening remarks. The Patriot Guard Riders is a national motorcycle group who help escort the holiday wreaths to the national cemetery in Arlington, Va. “Our nation stands as a shining beacon of liberty and freedom to the world. We thank those who gave their lives to keep us free and we shall not forget you. We shall remember,” King said. The families of veterans, fallen heroes and those still serving, were packed into the Columbarium Chapel at the cemetery. A wreath was laid in honor of each branch of the military, as well as for the 21 men and women of Rhode Island who have lost their lives during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. For each man and woman, their name, rank and military branch was announced from the front of the room and then a deep resonating voice echoed it from the back of the room. The Civil Air Patrol and some of the 30 Rhode Island Patriot Guard members in attendance helped lay the wreaths, pausing each time to salute the fallen victim. During each wreath presentation, the room was silent, reflecting and paying tribute to the perished hero. Lynn St. Germain spoke on behalf of the Gold Star Families. “Let’s remember that all of them died for something they strongly believed in,” she said, “we all know there is nothing we can do to change the past, but thank you for remembering.” The Gold Star Families are relatives of those who have died as a result of the war. Ralph Maiorano, Fanning’s brother, is Wing Administrator for the Civil Air Patrol, which co-hosted the event along with the Patriot Guard and the Rhode Island Division of Veterans Affairs. This year, the Civil Air Patrol sponsored more than 200 wreaths. Wreaths Across America began in 1992 when the Worcester Wreath Company from Harrington, Maine placed holiday wreaths on the headstones of the fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths were laid in order to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom, which serves as the program’s mission statement. “The ultimate goal is to get a wreath at every section of the cemetery and eventually do what they do at Arlington and have wreaths at every gravesite, but that is our long-term goal,” Maiorano said. Fanning and her brother were two of about 150 participating in the Rhode Island ceremony. On Saturday, more than 350 ceremonies of this kind took place around the United States. They were to happen during the 12th month at the 12th hour. Rhode Island alone had three locations where ceremonies occurred. Along with the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, wreaths were also laid at the Glocester Veterans Memorial and the Foster World War II Memorial. Fanning instantly became bright-eyed when recalling her father after the ceremony. She said that he was involved in the refurbishing of the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery and every time he drove past it when it was completed, he had to stop and admire the work that had been done. Fanning and Maiorano’s father did not die in combat. “He was a joy. He was my best friend. It was a privilege to take care of him when he got sick,” Fanning said. He died in July at the age of 89. When her father’s name gets printed in the newspaper once again, Fanning said she would bring the article to the gravesite because she knows her father is watching from above. In the closing remarks of the ceremony King encouraged people to visit some of the gravesites to write down the names they see and go home to research them. “They were real Americans with families, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. They were and are more than just a statistic,” he said. Fanning agreed and said that her father marched in the Bristol Fourth of July Parade for 30 years. She said that he was a family man who loved to sing in his church choir and even sang to his fellow Army members on the radio. She said her father loved life and, “everybody knew Joe.”