PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County was certainly one of greater than 3,000 websites within the U.S. and overseas that took half Saturday within the annual Wreaths Across America occasion.
The South Florida National Cemetery had the sounds of the bagpipes and the sights of the Stars and Stripes.
Each December, volunteers work to place wreaths on as many headstones as doable. It’s a technique to bear in mind, honor and educate others a couple of veteran’s service and the worth of freedom.
“There is a saying that a soldier dies twice, once on the battlefield and again when he’s forgotten,” Jeff Gerten, native coordinator for the Wreaths Across America at the South Florida National Cemetery. “We are here to carry on where the family has passed, so that way we’re still honoring that veteran. We’re still remembering that veteran.”
With each step, Vietnam War veteran James “Rabbi” King took a second to recollect our fallen veterans.
However, some graves remained naked this yr.
“It’s a shame that we can’t honor them in a proper way,” King stated.
There are slightly below 31,000 graves at the South Florida National Cemetery, however solely a little bit greater than 12,000 wreaths have been donated this yr.
“Part of it is COVID, part of it is the economy,” Gerten stated. “We also had two hurricanes come through Florida.”
The wreath scarcity was felt all through.
“It’s sad. I hope when I’m in one of these graves, I’m looking up to see a wreath on my grave,” King stated.
But via all of it, for these lined in Fraser fir wreath or these with out, freedom nonetheless rang.
“Hopefully next year we can give them what they deserve,” King stated.
