More than a dozen San Diego Eagles and family members joined hundreds more Saturday at Miramar National Cemetery for the annual Wreaths Across America event. Ceremonies are held at national cemeteries across the country to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach our children the value of freedom.
Opening ceremony in the fog.
The event began in heavy marine layer at the cemetery’s flag assembly area with brief speeches and ceremonies in which representatives of each of the armed forces placed a wreath while the songs that represent them were played. Then the crowd dispersed to place wreaths on individual headstones of veterans.
We went to section three of the cemetery to recognize in a special way a Boston College graduate before placing wreaths on other headstones in the section. William P. Beaton, who was a 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and served in Korea, graduated from BC in 1954. He died November 25, 2014.
William Patrick Beaton, ’54
William Beaton, 1954 Sub Turri
He was born in Boston on September 16, 1932 in Boston. An avid reader, he held a life-long passion for politics, religion, and other intellectual topics, according to his family. He married Kathleen Anne Cashman on July 4, 1964 and they celebrated their 50th anniversary only months before his death.
For most of their married life, they resided in Connecticut, where they raised their four children.
Beaton worked as a labor relations specialist for several U.S. corporations. He was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church in 1998 and served in many churches in New Mexico.
He was survived by his widow and their four children, including Alexander Beaton of San Diego, along with seven grandchildren. Alex Beaton had intended to join us Saturday, but was taking his mother to a medical appointment that morning.
