Many in our community miss loved ones who are away serving their country. And many of us feel the shattering grief of knowing a loved one will never come home. 

“In many homes across the U.S., every day there is an empty seat for one who is serving, or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” Herriman’s website observes. “To honor that sacrifice, Herriman City proudly sponsors the Wreaths Across America program.”

Volunteers all over the country will place wreaths at the graves of fallen service members on Dec. 13. (Photo courtesy Wreaths Across America)

As part of National Wreaths Across America Day, Herriman will host a wreath-laying ceremony at the Herriman City Cemetery on Dec. 13,  to honor U.S. military veterans interred there. Live balsam wreaths will decorate every veteran’s headstone. 

In all 50 states, abroad and even at sea, over two million advocates and volunteers will join Herriman residents on Dec. 13 to place wreaths on the graves of veterans at over 5,200 locations.

Ceremonies take place each year before Christmas and aim to remember and recognize veterans as well as raise awareness about issues they face. “While we have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, our servicemen and women sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year, to preserve our freedoms,” the Wreaths Across America website says.

Headstones at the Herriman Cemetery are graced by evergreen wreaths in 2024. (Photo courtesy Herriman City)

 “Herriman participates in the… ceremony each December, joining thousands of communities across the country in honoring veterans laid to rest in local cemeteries,” City Communications Manager Jonathan La Follette said. “At the Herriman City Cemetery, there are approximately 180 identified veteran graves. The ceremony in Herriman takes place at the same national time as… similar ceremonies nationwide.”

“Wreaths Across America is something that brings the community together in a meaningful way,” Herriman Mayor Lorin Palmer said. “It’s also meaningful to know that communities across the country are taking part in that same moment of remembrance.”

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is threefold: “Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom.” The organization also provides programs to support veterans. 

Every year, Herriman City participates in Wreaths Across America’s national wreath-laying ceremony. (Photo courtesy Herriman City)

The first wreath-laying ceremony began over 25 years ago at Arlington National Cemetery and included an individualized ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In 2005, the practice began to spread across the nation, and the nonprofit was founded in 2007. 

During ceremonies, attendees are reverent as they recall memories of their loved ones. “Participants are encouraged to speak the veteran’s name aloud when placing a wreath…” La Follette said. 

“It’s a community effort from start to finish,” Location Coordinator Shelly Peterson said. “The wreaths are sponsored by individuals, families, and organizations, and the delivery and placement are done by volunteers.”

Visitor honors one of the nearly 180 veterans resting at Herriman Cemetery. (Photo courtesy Herriman City)

Herriman residents are encouraged every year to sponsor a wreath. Sponsorships begin at $17, and money raised is first applied to the cost of the wreath and then to funding for veteran programs and administrative expenses. Any sponsorships received in excess of what is needed for the current year will be rolled over to the next year. 

“We’re grateful to our residents for their willingness to step up and reach our full goal every year... “ La Follette said. “We’d encourage readers anywhere to find a WAA location close to them. A lot of other cemeteries, especially military cemeteries, fall short of their goal each year, which leaves some of those veteran graves undecorated.”

Before his death in 2003, American veteran advocate and Belgian transplant Pierre Claeyssens observed, “To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen… to be forgotten is the worst.”

“When we gather at the cemetery, say the names of our veterans, and place the wreaths, it shows that their service is remembered,” Palmer said. “It’s a simple act, but it carries a lot of respect.”