Lee Erwin Reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – “On Wings of Love”, a ceremony remembering victims of homicide was held Wednesday, December 4 at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library. It was the 16th year for the event put on with support from the District Attorney General’s office.
Close to 200 people gathered for the ceremony which honored the memory of those who have lost their lives as a result of homicide, violent crime or a vehicle crash involving a drunk driver.
Guest speaker Jeannie Winchester, whose nine-year-old daughter was killed in 1996 shared her thoughts and the message she wanted to share with those attending. “We can not let the manner of their death overshadow their life. If we had not loved them we would not grieve but if they loved us they would not want our grief to be a constant companion,” Winchester said.
Each person who was a family member or friend of someone being remembered came forward and gave their name, their relationship to the victim and the name of the person whose life was tragically taken.
That person or in some cases a group of family members would then hang an ornament on a Christmas tree located on the main floor of the library. In all, around 200 ornaments were placed on the tree by family members and friends of the victims.
Some ornaments were also hung on the tree by staff of the District Attorney General’s Office, local law enforcement officers and students from Fort Campbell High School. The “On Wings of Love” ceremony remembered over 370 victims over the past 30 years, including 11 victims from 2013.
District Attorney General John Carney Jr. talked about why the ceremony is so important to those remembering the victims. “These are victims that are hurting and their families are hurting because this time of year reminds them of their loved ones that have been lost. What we try to do with this program is to bring comfort and healing to the families of the deceased,” said Carney.