KILLEEN, TX — The holiday season is finally upon us which means Wreaths for Vets had their annual wreath-laying ceremony in Killeen.
Every year Wreaths for Vets calls on thousands of volunteers to help lay wreaths on all the graves at The Central Texas State Veterans Cemetary.
Holiday wreath-laying began in 2007, two years after the Cemetary opened when the Wreaths Across America organization sent six wreaths to Central Texas in honor of each military service branch and for POW/MIA. Afterward, someone believed all the graves should get a wreath.
Within three days, enough wreaths and volunteers made that happen.
In order to get the wreaths ready to be laid in the Cemetary, volunteers are needed to help prepare the wreaths. Wreath preparation took place at the Killeen Special Events Center on Saturday, November 21 at 10 AM.
Once the wreaths were ready, a wreath-laying ceremony took place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The ceremony started at 10 AM and shuttles ran from Texas A&M Central Texas to the Cemetary from 8 AM to noon.
Family members laid wreaths of loved ones first and afterward volunteers dispersed the remaining wreaths until every grave had one.
This year, over 11,000 wreaths were laid by volunteers and family members.
Every year the need for more volunteers continues to grow along with the need for more donations.
Wreath retrieval will take place on Saturday, January 9, 2021, at 10 AM.
You can visit the Wreath for Vets website for more information or follow them on Facebook for more updates.
