SOLEDAD — Last Saturday Soledad Cemetery joined more than 4,500 other locations across the country to host a wreath-laying ceremony honoring local veterans for National Wreaths Across America Day.
Sponsored wreaths were spread at the cemetery’s veterans’ area, and each honored veteran had their names read and received a moment of individual recognition by families or volunteers.
The Dec. 14 event was organized by Soledad Girl Scout Troop 35331 as a Bronze Award Project. The award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can earn.
At the beginning of the ceremony, each branch of the military had its name read aloud with a wreath placed in front of the “In Memory of Our Comrades” monument. Wreaths were also placed for Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIA) service members. Families and volunteers were then given wreaths to place in the plot behind the monument.
Soledad resident and veteran of the U.S. Army and Iraq, Monica Andrade, was happy that the event took place in honor of local veterans.
“Although we have Veterans Day and Memorial Day, I feel that we should take time out as often as we can to honor those that have served our country,” Andrade said. “We need that time to remember them and to keep their legacy. The ceremony was solemn and gave us the chance and the time to reflect and to honor our veterans.”
Also participating in the ceremony were American Legion Post 81 of Gonzales, American Legion Post 32 of Soledad and American Legion Post 635 of Greenfield.
