Hundreds gathered for Fort McCoy's Christmas tree lighting ceremony at a holiday event on the base which dates back at least to World War II. On December 5, the tree lighting was held at McCoy’s Community Center at Fort McCoy.
In addition to the lighting ceremony, there were also other activities such as arts and crafts for children and a visit from not just Santa and Mrs. Claus but also the Grinch made an appearance. The Fort McCoy garrison commander, Col. Sheyla Baez-Ramirez, also delivered a speech.
"It’s a special evening for all of us here at Fort McCoy because this marks the official start of the holiday season," Baez said. "We always have things to be thankful for, and this is a great opportunity to gather outside of the office, outside of work, and get to know each other a little bit better and celebrate the great things we have around us."
The event was also an opportunity to recognize the families of deployed service members. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Calarco introduced a family whose mother was currently deployed, stating that, "You all pay a significant price for this great nation. My family has committed so many more sacrifices than I could ever dream of," Calarco explained. "I know I see a lot of military members in this audience. And me personally, I can remember the last day at home, my four-and-a-half-year-old son tried to crawl into my kit when I was in the middle of my living room. And my wife took a picture of it so I can never forget it."
Similar speeches were given at the Fort McCoy Christmas event in 1944 during World War II and again during the Korean War. Nearly 100,000 trainees pass through Fort McCoy each year.