30,000 wreaths to be laid at Jefferson Barracks for Wreaths Across America day
By KMOV Staff
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ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — Every year, during the holidays, there’s a moving display in south St. Louis County to honor our country’s veterans. Wreaths Across Ameria day at Jefferson Barracks is on Saturday.
Volunteers were hard at work on Friday preparing for an important day.
“It’s just absolutely breathtaking,” Elizabeth Weeks said.
Volunteers are placing more than 30,000 wreaths at the cemetery of 180,000 gravesites.
“We have the largest mass burial sites of all the national cemeteries,” someone said. “We have the people out here who just show up to lend a hand to get these wreaths where they need to be so we can have a successful Wreaths Across America Day tomorrow.”
Volunteers have their own reasons for serving.
“I have all four of my kids here today and we are going to transport these wreaths to Jefferson Barracks Cemetery. It’s really special to us, my dad actually is buried here, he’s a Vietnam vet, Purple Heart recipient and we want to honor our veterans,” Weeks said.
The National Wreaths Across America Day tradition began in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetary. Volunteers started placing wreaths at Jefferson Barracks 16 years ago.
Many people like Weeks – who has now volunteered for seven straight years – have made this a family tradition.
“I want to raise my kids to know the special and unique part that these veterans have played in our lives for the freedoms that we have,” Weeks said.
“It just warms me up. I love to see the respect for the military, we don’t see enough of it anymore,” someone said.
The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. Saturday with the reading of the names of veterans buried at the cemetery. The wreath laying is at noon.
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