A sea of remembrance as 5,000 wreaths laid down at Wilmington National Cemetery

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — An annual holiday tradition honoring service and sacrifice as hundreds of people gathered at Wilmington National Cemetery to lay wreaths on Saturday afternoon.

December 16th was National Wreaths Across America Day.

Local government leaders and service members took part in a ceremony remembering fallen veterans.

Following the ceremony, more than 5,000 wreaths were laid throughout the cemetery.

Former Army 4-star general Daniel Allen was the ceremony’s keynote speaker.

He said seeing so many people come out for the event meant a lot, especially with so many young kids there.

“Its particularly inspiring because we have at least half the population here is under the age of 15, so we are educating the next generation about the value of our freedoms and the veterans who enable us to enjoy them,” Allen said.

Rolland Marks, a member of the Air Force JROTC at Laney High School, was one such young person inspired by the day’s ceremony.

Marks walked up and down several rows of headstones, pausing to salute in front of each one.

He said so much history is represented and buried in the cemetery that he wanted to honor them in another way.

“From the American Revolution to the Civil War to World War 1, to World War 2, from Korea, some who got drafted for Vietnam to Afghanistan, to Iraq, to now,” Marks said. “They didn’t have to do it but they decided to. So I decided to salute them to say I’m grateful for their service and sacrifice.”

In total, more than 2 million wreaths were laid at over 4,000 cemeteries across the US and overseas.