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Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

(Submitted by Gary Johnson)

(Submitted by Gary Johnson)

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

(Submitted by Gary Johnson)

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Photo by Avery Goodstine

Cedar Hill Cemetery and Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Cemetery both had ceremonies on Saturday in honor of Wreaths Across America Day — a nationally recognized day that honors veterans by placing wreaths on their graves.    

Mike Gooding from ABC13 was the master of ceremonies at Horton Cemetery. He highlighted some important statistics from the Department of Veteran Services: There are 676,000 veterans in Virginia, which is one in 11 people, and 9.2% of the state’s population. He continued to say Horton Cemetery is 74 acres and is home to over 14,000 deceased veterans and their spouses. 

“We come together today to honor the generations of Americans who stood on the front lines of freedom,” said guest speaker, Captain David L. Gray. “Each wreath laid here today symbolizes a debt of gratitude we owe the more than 20,000 veterans and family members resting here. These wreaths show their loved ones and their community that they have not been forgotten.”

The Horton Wreath Society has been involved with Wreaths Across America day for 16 years, said President Mike Yarbrough. He said their goal every year is to have a wreath placed on every burial site — which they’ve done all 16 years. This year there were 14,300 wreaths. 

In order to accomplish this goal, Yarbrough said they rely on donations to purchase all the wreaths, which cost about $10.50. Out of all the funding the Horton Wreath Society receives, he said 96% of it goes to buying the wreaths. They also invite volunteers out to help lay all the wreaths.

Horton also hosted a family day the Friday before the ceremony to provide families the opportunity to lay wreaths on their loved one’s graves.  

The wreaths get picked up on Jan. 10, Yarbrough said, so he makes sure to buy about 30 extra wreaths to account for any burials that may take place between when they’re laid and when they get picked up. 

Yarbrough talked about why having this ceremony every year is so important.

“Just honoring the veterans, doing our part for their sacrifices,” he said. “We try to teach the children honor, respect, remember. All of that’s important to us.”

Yarbrough also mentioned that while many assume the wreaths are Christmas wreaths, they’re actually veteran wreaths, and are symbolically made to honor them. Signs were put up around the cemetery with the meanings of the wreath.

The signs state a veteran’s wreath is a symbol of honor, respect, and victory. The wreaths are made of 10 balsam bouquets, representing 10 qualities embodied by veterans: faith, love, strength, honesty, humility, ambitions, optimism, concern, and pride. The evergreens are for longevity and endurance, the red bow symbolizes the blood of their sacrifices, the forest scent is for purity and simplicity, and the circular shape represents eternity. 

Cedar Hill is another Suffolk cemetery that honored its veterans on Saturday with 384 wreaths.

“Being from a family that has a lot of veterans in it, myself included, I think that it’s very important to honor those who have served,” said Karen Hendrick, Cedar Hill coordinator. “I just love doing this, because I love honoring veterans.”

Cedar Hill gets their wreaths through a partnership with Wreaths Across America. Hendrick spoke about a one month match program Wreaths Across America does, where for every two wreaths purchased, they will contribute a third wreath.

Like Horton Cemetery, Cedar Hill invites volunteers to come and lay wreaths on the graves of veterans, who are marked with colored flags. Hendrick said they typically have four families every year that come and place wreaths on their family graves.

“We honor veterans and their families for the sacrifices they make each day to keep our country safe from terrorism, hatred and injustice,” Hendrick said during the ceremony. “Today, we show a united front of gratitude and respect across the United States of America as we remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.”

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