'Wreaths Across America' honors fallen vets at hundreds of locations in the US
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At hundreds of ceremonies this weekend, Americans quietly paid their respects to those who served and lost their lives in the country's wars.
"Wreaths Across America" is an annual December event that pays tribute to U.S. servicemembers.
"We're here to honor the veterans. My father was a veteran, my grandfather and my great grandfather and we’re here to place the wreaths to honor them," one participant said, reports Fox 2.
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Last year, more than 75,000 volunteers placed wreaths at 245,000 gravesites in Arlington National Cemetery.
This year, the organization sent 1.75 million wreaths to 1,640 locations that were set to hold ceremonies, according to the Pentagon.
This is the event’s 27th year at Arlington, honoring the men and women who've served in the U.S. armed forces.
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President Trump on Saturday visited Arlington to shake hands with volunteers who had just taken part in a wreath-laying ceremony there.
According to the official Wreaths Across America Facebook page, the effort began in 1992 and was focused only on Arlington cemetery. It has since expanded to locations nationwide with a goal to remember those lost, honor their sacrifice and teach the next generation about freedom.
Fox News' Robert Gearty contributed to this report.