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Thousands of wreaths laid at Arlington National Cemetery

Posted at 4:54 PM, Dec 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-17 16:54:05-05

Dozens of trucks and thousands of volunteers delivered more than 260,000 Christmas wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery to honor fallen heroes.

The rain Saturday didn't stop the day of service, which was made possible by the Wreaths Across America organization.  

"If you look across this field of stones, it's massive, but we want to make sure that every individual receives a wreath and their name is spoken out loud,” says Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America.

Larry Landon, a Boy Scout troop leader, donated his time, unboxing and placing wreaths with 14 of his Boy Scouts.

“Our troop unloaded trucks,” he says. “Over 36,000 wreaths were laid here at Arlington, with the help of these boys.”

It’s a tradition in its 27th year, spanning all 50 states and into 26 countries. Nearly 2 million wreaths in total were placed.

The goal is to give heroes across the world a gift this holiday season.