Wreaths Across America 2019.
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- The military and civilian communities joined the Presidio of Monterey command team at the Presidio cemetery Dec. 14 to lay wreaths at headstones to remember and honor fallen veterans.
Col. Greg Ford, Presidio of Monterey commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Roberto Marshall opened the ceremony with a few brief remarks followed by an invocation from Chaplain (Col.) Eric Meyners.
After the opening ceremony, volunteers were handed wreaths to lay. When a wreath is laid -- the volunteer laying the wreath reads the name on the headstone out loud.
Veterans from the American Legion Riders - District 28 held American flags at the cemetery entrance to welcome volunteers into the cemetery.
This wreath-laying ceremony marks the fourth year the Presidio has participated in the Wreaths Across America program. Every year in December, Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 1,600 locations across the United States, at sea and abroad.
"We had tremendous support this year ... we want to continue this tradition to ensure the families and veterans buried here are never forgotten, and their sacrifice is always recognized," said Ford.
Photo by Joseph Kumzak, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs. Original public domain image from Flickr