National Wreaths Across America Day is Dec. 13, how you can help honor and remember the fallen
More than 100 members of the 104th Fighter Wing and their families volunteered at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Ceremony in Agawam, Massachusetts, December 14, 2024, joining millions of Americans participating in the event at more than 4,600 lo
More than 2 million volunteers across the country will once again remember the fallen, honor those who served, and teach the next generation the value of freedom at the National Wreaths Across America Day.
The backstory:
Wreaths Across America started in 1992 when Morrill Worcester, owner of the Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, had a surplus of wreaths as the holiday season was ending. He remembered a childhood trip to Washington, D.C. and seeing the thousands of graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. That memory made Worcester realize he could use his surplus wreaths to honor the service members at Arlington.
Over the next ten years, the placing of wreaths at Arlington continued with little notice, but in 2005 that all changed when a photo of the headstones at Arlington adorned with wreaths and covered in snow went viral on the World Wide Web.
That inspired people all over the nation to get involved in making donations for wreaths and volunteering to place them on graves.
A year later, the inspiration grew with wreath-laying ceremonies taking place at over 150 locations across the country, and in 2008 it grew more, with over 300 locations in every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries having wreath-laying ceremonies. That same year, Congress declared December 13, 2008, as "Wreaths Across America Day" and the event has taken place annually every December, with Congress proclaiming a Saturday in December as National Wreaths Across America Day.
It has since grown into a national non-profit that seeks to both honor and educate children all across the country on the value of freedom.
A civilian volunteer places a wreath at Denver's Fairmount Cemetery, Colorado, Dec 14, 2024. In remembrance, Team Buckley leadership, the Mile High Civil Air Patrol squadron, and numerous dedicated volunteers placed wreaths at the memorials and grave
What you can do:
This year’s event is being held on Saturday, Dec. 13 with more than two million volunteers placing fresh balsam wreaths on veterans’ graves at thousands of participating locations in all 50 states and at Veterans’ Memorials and historic sites to remember the fallen, honor those who served, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
Anyone who wants to volunteer can visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to find a nearby location.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Wreaths Across America. This story was reported from Orlando.