COLUMBIA FALLS - Despite a slight hang up with delayed wreath delivery, the community gathered at the Veterans Home Cemetary in Columbia Falls on Saturday for the Wreaths Across America celebration.
The formal ceremony, before the placing of the wreaths, is to honor and remember veterans who served our country.
“It's a great honor to see all of these people come up to see that they care about our veterans, they care about our military, and they care about their community, and what it brings with it. It's very, very pleasurable to see so many people, and so many young kids that have shown up,” said U.S. Air Force veteran Mike Pryor.
Traditionally, after the ceremony, volunteers place wreaths on all 870 grave sights, but the delivery truck was delayed due to weather. This hiccup did not change how special this ceremony is for the families in attendance.
“It's always special because it's such an emotional ceremony. It's an important day and there's not a person here who either doesn't have a family member and they all have family members who are veterans or they are veterans themselves,” said Wreaths Across America Location coordinator Steve Armstrong.
Volunteers intend to return to the cemetery later in the day and place wreaths after the truck arrives. The turnout of attendees was the best the ceremony has had in ten years.
“And we actually had a lot more young kids, which I just I love having the young kids here, because they're the ones who are going to carry on the tradition. One of the goals of Wreaths Across America is to remember honor and teach. And the teach part is to teach the next generation about why we honor our veterans,” said Armstrong.
