ARLINGTON, Va. — Hundreds of thousands of wreaths now mark the graves at Arlington National Cemetery, as Wreaths Across America welcomed volunteers back for the historic event this year
These wreaths were brought in from Maine to Virginia to adorn the graves of veterans and their families, but their impact travels much farther than that. This is the 30th year for the event.
"I first learned about Wreaths Across America when someone sent me a picture of the wreath they placed on my husbands grave. There was snow on the ground," said Nancy Minagh, whose husband was a Marine Corps captain who died in 1984. "I started to weep thinking someone took their time to remember my husband. I was overwhelmed."
Flooding into the gates were 47,000 volunteers who signed up to help.
This is the return of the event, after it was locked down last year, with only small groups allowed.
More than 250,000 wreaths are being laid to honor these graves.
The main idea behind today is to recognize and remember the veterans and as each volunteer places a wreath on a gravestone, they also take a moment to say the veteran's name out loud.
"It's not just laying a wreath, is it really making a promise to those families that have lost someone that we are going to make sure we keep their legacy alive," said Joseph Reagan, director of military and veterans outreach for Wreaths Across America.
While Arlington National Cemetery is the largest site of the wreath-laying, it occurs at more than 3,000 cemeteries across the country.