PRINCETON, N.J. — The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division hosted the annual Presidential Wreath Laying for President Grover Cleveland March 18 at Princeton Cemetery here.
This event is managed by the White House Military Office, which is responsible for coordinating the annual placement of presidential wreaths at the tombs and resting places of former presidents, other famous Americans and at certain memorials of historical significance.
“What endures most for me are the final words President Cleveland spoke before his death here in Princeton on June 24, 1908: ‘I have tried so hard to do right,’” said Maj. Gen. Mark Palzer, 99th RD commanding general. “What more can we ask of anyone, including ourselves, than to try to always do what’s right?”
The year 1908 is also significant for another reason – it marks the inception of the Army Reserve. Army Reserve Soldiers have served in every major conflict since World War I, and more than 300,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have deployed around the world since Sept. 11, 2001.
“I try to instill in my Soldiers the same values by which President Cleveland lived and served,” Palzer said.
