Wreath-laying ceremony marks 116th anniversary of LBJ’s birth
President Lyndon B. Johnson and first lady Claudia 'Lady Bird' Johnson walk through a field of wildflowers near Johnson City. On Aug. 27, a wreath-laying ceremony, started by the first lady in 1973, will mark the anniversary of the president's birth. Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site are marking the 116th anniversary of President Johnson’s birth with a wreath-laying ceremony. The event is 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, at his gravesite in the Johnson Family Cemetery at LBJ Ranch, 1472 Park Road 52 in Stonewall.
The ceremony continues a tradition that first lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson began in 1973, according to a National Park Service media release. U.S. Air Force Col. Will Freds will help present the wreath and provide remarks. Shelton Coleman, whose family has a long history with the Johnsons, is the keynote speaker.
Col. Freds has served as deputy commander of the 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio since April.
Coleman was born and raised in President Johnson’s hometown of Johnson City, where he attended school. He serves on the Johnson City City Counci and the Blanco County Appraisal District board. He was a board member of the Friends of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park from 2012-19. His grandparents Anita and M.C. Winters were close friends of President and Mrs. Johnson.
To view the wreath-laying ceremony, first stop at LBJ State Park and Historic Site, 199 Park Road 52 in Stonewall, to pick up a free vehicle permit and map. The visitor center will open at 8:30 a.m. Then, drive 1.5 miles east on Ranch Road 1 and cross the Pedernales River to the entrance gate of LBJ Ranch. The gate opens at 9 a.m. The Johnson Family Cemetery is located just inside the ranch entrance.