Holiday wreaths will be laid Saturday on the graves of veterans buried at Fort Jackson National Cemetery.
The ceremony, which starts at noon and is open to the public, is being held in conjunction with the national Wreaths Across America program sponsored by the Worcester Wreath Co.
An evergreen wreath with a red bow will be laid on the graves of 350 veterans buried at the Fort Jackson cemetery at Percival and Clemson roads.
Local veterans organizations and civic groups are participating in the ceremony, which will be the first at the Fort Jackson cemetery. The first burials were held there in January.
Because organizers expect a large turnout of participants and volunteers, free parking and shuttle services will be provided at the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina parking lot on Percival Road, across from the cemetery.
Although wreaths have been laid for 18 years at Arlington National Cemetery, Worcester Wreath of Harrington, Maine, started the nationwide program in 2006.
This year it expects to lay holiday wreaths on the graves of 150,000 veterans at 400 cemeteries.
Wreaths are sponsored by Worcester as well as corporations, civic and veterans groups, and individuals.
Contributions are accepted at the Web site: www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
- Chuck Crumbo
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