Each December, veteran stones across the world are adorned to commemorate the American heroes who selflessly served our country. The wreath-laying ceremonies are coordinated by the nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA), with the mission to "Remember, Honor, and Teach."

This year, National Wreaths Across America Day falls on Saturday, December 14th. Thousands of Americans will come together to honor all the service members who have given their lives for our country by placing wreaths on gravesites at over 4,700 participating locations across the United States and beyond.

Their mission is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom.

The History

The story is actually quite simple and started out as just one personal tribute. The Worcester family owned a tree farm in Maine, and in 1992, they ended up having a surplus of wreaths during the holiday season and decided to place them beside graves in Arlington National Cemetery that didn't seem to have frequent visitors.

Over the years, several volunteers stepped up to help, including veterans from American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, as well as a truck company that aided in transporting the wreaths to Arlington, Virginia, where a small ceremony was held each year at the cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This remained a small annual tradition for nearly 15 years until a photo taken in 2005 went viral. Almost immediately, thousands of people wanted to know how to help or how they could begin a similar tradition in their states.

Since then, Wreaths Across America has grown tremendously, bringing in millions of participants and volunteers every year and expanding to locations around the world.

How to Participate

There are several ways to support our fallen veterans this Saturday. You can sponsor a wreath that can be placed at any of the participating locations. You can participate as a volunteer with the making or distributing of the wreaths, or you can donate to a local sponsorship group. For more information on how to support this cause, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and show our veterans and their families that we will not forget.