Wreaths Across America ceremony scheduled at national cemetery
The Mound City National Cemetery again plans to honor veterans during the holiday season.
The cemetery in Mound City plans to take part in the annual Wreaths Across America Day.
The Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission will conduct a Wreaths Across America Day ceremony. The ceremony is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.
Seven ceremonial wreaths designated for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and POWs/MIAs will be placed.
The wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served, to honor their sacrifices and teach the nation's younger generations about the high cost of freedom.
Similar ceremonies are scheduled to take place simultaneously at more than 750 participating locations across the country.
Wreaths will be placed on gravesites at the Mound City National Cemetery or picked up and placed at a different cemetery.
All wreaths will be handed out after the ceremony on Dec. 14.
In 2012, 406,000 wreaths were placed nationwide by over 150,000 volunteers as part of the Wreaths Across America mission to "remember, honor and teach."
The Wreaths Across America story began more than 20 years ago when the Worcester Wreath Company from Harrington, Maine, initiated a tradition of donating and placing wreaths on the headstones of the nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery.
Organizers said that recognition of the service and sacrifice of veterans and their families is especially poignant during the traditional holiday season.
Worcester Wreath Company continues to be a major supporter of the project.
More than 400,000 wreaths will be sponsored by individuals, businesses and groups from communities nationwide.
Wreaths will be placed at locations in all 50 states, from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii, and at 24 national cemeteries on foreign soil.
For more information about Wreaths Across America, contact Becky Kleckner at 618-521-5228 or Morrissa Clanahan at 618-713-7627.