Every American soldier was honored at the 16th annual “Wreaths for Vets” wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday morning by hundreds of volunteers who placed 13,000 silk wreaths on veteran gravestones.
In honor of veterans
Every American soldier was honored at the 16th annual “Wreaths for Vets” wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday morning by hundreds of volunteers who placed 13,000 silk wreaths on veteran gravestones, according to a published article by KWTX.
Wreaths for Vets committee member Hilary Shine told KWTX, “I just think it’s such a moving tribute and such a memorable way to say ‘your service is gone but not forgotten.”
Cyd West, the treasurer of Wreaths for Vets, said that “almost everyone knows someone” or “has a relative or loved one interred here.”
Wreath preparation
According to Jean Shine, president of Friends of the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, volunteers are required to make the event (also known as Wreaths for Vets) happen.
Killeen Daily Herald reports all of the wreaths will have a bow on them and be fluffed in preparation for the wreath laying on November 26.
At 10 a.m., preparation started on Saturday at the 3301 S. Killeen Special Events Center W.S. Young Boulevard.
The wreath-laying ceremony started at 10 a.m. on November 26 at the Killeen cemetery, located at 11463 State Highway 195.
Volunteers were encouraged to use the Texas A&M University-Central Texas park-and-ride shuttle service.
At 8 a.m., the shuttle service started from the university’s parking lot at 1001 Leadership Place in Killeen.
Laying of wreaths
Additional information from Killeen Daily Herald explains that Wreaths Across America first sent six wreaths to the cemetery in 2006 to be laid in memory of all military branches and POW/MIA. According to a flyer for the annual event, Shine felt that everyone buried or interred should be remembered, so she bought the first 400 wreaths and bows and gathered the volunteers to lay them.
Since then, the cemetery—formally inaugurated in 2005—has expanded by roughly 1,000 gravesites annually. On January 5, 2006, the first person was buried at the cemetery.
Today, the charity uses donations to purchase wreaths. Donations can be made at any of the events or on the website (www.wreathsforvets.org).
