On Dec. 18, Air Force ROTC students from the the Knox County Career Center will go to Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon and place hundreds of wreaths on veterans' graves.
It's part of a national program sponsored by Wreaths Across America, Chris Salvucci, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who is now the ROTC instructor, told the Mount Vernon News.
"They started putting wreaths out at Arlington Cemetery, and it was a big hit, and other people started calling up and asking how they could do the same at their cemeteries," Salvucci said. "Now it's all over the world."
The wreaths cost about $15 each and are paid through donations to Wreaths Across America, he said.
For the students, it's a good learning experience.
"It brings all these history books and stories to life for them," Salvucci said. "The students are standing right there in front of the grave. You try to educate the students on the sacrifices the veterans made and a little bit about who they were. And we are trying to let the families know that their sacrifices were not forgotten."
Each year, the students cover only a fraction of veterans' graves in the cemetery.
"But it's better than nothing," Salvucci said.
The wreaths are made of pine and will stay on the graves until spring. Other groups will join the ROTC students for the annual ceremony.
"The Daughters of the American Revolution usually has a pretty strong presence there," he said. "Sometimes Career Center will attend. It means something to them while they were students and then 10 years later, you will look up and seem them standing there in the cemetery with their kids."
Each December, Wreaths Across America coordinates 2,500 ceremonies at Arlington and around the world, according to its website.
People can donate money for one or more wreaths online at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and specify Mound View Cemetery as the location.
"What does it mean to sponsor a wreath?" Wreaths Across America asks on its website. "It means you’ll honor an American hero."
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