Wreaths Across America takes place on Saturday

Saturday, December 11 is Wreaths Across America Day, and a commemorative ceremony will again be taking place at Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, starting at 8:45 a.m. The community is invited to attend, and the ceremony will take place rain or shine.

Wreaths Across America is a nationwide holiday remembrance of veterans. This year, the ceremony will take place at over 530 veterans’ cemeteries in all 50 states, at 24 American military cemeteries on foreign soil, and aboard a U.S. Navy ship sailing on each of the seven seas. Each veteran’s cemetery receives 7 commemorative wreaths – one for each branch of the U.S. military, plus the Merchant Marine and POW/MIA.

Wreaths are provided for as many individual veteran graves as sponsorships can be obtained for; this year, the local community has insured that every grave at Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park will receive a fresh wreath. Following the commemorative ceremony, all present will be asked to place the wreaths; for those who wish to place a wreath on the grave of a loved one or friend, members of the military will be standing by to accompany them and render honors if requested.

The Sonoma Wreaths Across America ceremony is coordinated by Civil Air Patrol Squadron 157 of Sonoma County Airport, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1943 and American Legion Post 489 of Sonoma.