Fewer wreaths this year for Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON — The annual holiday program that places remembrance wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery is in trouble and time is running out.

Dec. 14 is when tens of thousands of volunteers will fan out across Arlington National Cemetery and place a wreath at each headstone of a fallen service members. It’s like a silent salute – a thank you to those buried at Arlington from all wars.

But there’s a problem. Now in its 21st year, Wreaths Across America is facing a shortage of about 35,000 wreaths for Arlington National Cemetery, ABC 7 News reports.

The trucks carrying the wreaths will be leaving next week from Maine and Wayne Hanson, the program’s chairman, hopes the public can chip in.

“We need them (the public) as soon as possible … to go to Wreaths Across America and help us by sponsoring a wreath,” he says.

They cost $15.

Last year, volunteers placed more than 110,000 remembrance wreaths. For some of these fallen soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery, that visit from a volunteer is the only visit they’ll get until the next year.

Watch video courtesy ABC 7:

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