JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thousands of wreaths were laid across gravestones at cemeteries across the country Saturday morning, part of National Wreaths Across America Day. Volunteers in Jacksonville honored service veterans buried at the Jacksonville Memory Gardens.
“It means a lot, especially being here cause she is here. So I bet she’s happy that I’m doing this," Dekoda Ek, a Coast Guard member, said.
Ek has served in the Coast Guard for three years. He joined in honor of his mother, a teacher buried here at the Jacksonville Memory Gardens.
“It is pretty emotional for me because all these people can’t go home to their families, like my mother can’t go home to her family anymore so it does mean a lot to me," Ek said.
The wreaths laid out on the gravestones at Jacksonville Memory Gardens are more than just a plant, they represent the honor that volunteers are giving to the thousands of service members buried there.
“As a veteran, I think recognition of those who came previous to me and served our country, it’s a great opportunity for me to bring my family here and lay the wreaths down," Major Song Hong, a National Guard member, said.
Around 5,000 veterans are buried at JMG and volunteers spent the morning walking through the wet grass making sure that every headstone was decorated with green branches and red bows.
The annual event has been going on for over three decades at cemeteries across the country. This year’s theme is 'Serve and Succeed,' with over 4,218 locations across the country participating.
"It’s just humbling, that’s the best word for it. All the people that have done the job before you, it’s just humbling," Tommy Price, a Cost Guard member, said.