Many Gather at Yorktown National Cemetery for Wreaths Across America

YORKTOWN — Beneath an overcast sky, members of the community gathered on Saturday, Dec. 18 to honor the veterans interred at Yorktown National Cemetery during its annual Wreaths Across America ceremony.

After having to cancel the ceremony in 2020 due to COVID-19, the cemetery was overflowing with community members including representatives from each branch of the United States military, veteran-oriented organizations, as well as local scouting troops.

The large crowd came together to solemnly pay witness to a ceremony, which included the playing of the National Anthem and a color guard from U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, which was meant to honor the lives of the service members buried at Yorktown National Cemetery.

This year also saw the first time in which Yorktown National Cemetery’s ceremony also honored the veterans of the U.S. Space Force.

A member of the American Legion Riders noted how in previous years, it took hours to place wreaths due to the lack of volunteer turn-out. However, this year, there were so many community members in attendance that wreaths were laid at every grave within as little as a half hour.

Wreaths Across America, an organization based out of Columbia Falls, Maine, is dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of military service members through several programs, including its mission of placing wreaths upon the graves of veterans at every U.S. national cemetery around the world.