Wreaths Across America Ceremony honors fallen heroes at Wilmington National Cemetery

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Over 5,000 wreaths were placed on graves at Wilmington National Cemetery as part of the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony held on Saturday.

This event, which took place across the country, invited loved ones and volunteers to honor the fallen heroes who gave their lives defending the freedoms we cherish.

Locally, the ceremony was supported by over 44 different organizations from the surrounding counties in the Cape Fear region, who came together to sponsor the wreaths being placed on the graves.

Jerry West, the location coordinator for Wilmington National Cemetery, expressed his gratitude for community support.

“It’s really an honor to be here and to watch people, the locals, the citizens of Wilmington and New Hanover County, Brunswick and Pender come out and honor people that’s what makes it so special. They may not talk about it a lot otherwise, but when we have a ceremony like this, people’s true colors come out,” West shared.

The ceremony has grown over the years. West explained that when the event first began, only a few ceremonial wreaths were placed.

This year, however, there was enough to cover every grave.