Photos by Matthew O. Stephens Hundreds of area residents participated in the annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony at Fort George Wright Military Cemetery in Spokane on December 18. The silence was almost tangible as the snow softly fell and people paid their respects.
SPOKANE – A blanket of snow quieted the atmosphere on December 18, which marks the day in which over 2500 locations across America honor fallen Veterans by placing donated wreaths at their graves. Fairchild Air Force Base invited people in the area to come participate at Fort George Wright Military Cemetery in Spokane, and a couple hundred residents braved the snowfall to show their respects.
Nationwide over 2.4 million wreaths were placed on the graves of veteran's statistics show, and 254 were placed at Fort George Wright Cemetery.
Eight ceremonial wreaths representing the United States, different branches of the armed forces, and prisoners of war were placed on appropriate stands as the snow softly fell.
Col. Jeffrey Marshall, 92 Air Refueling Wing Vice Wing Commander at Fairchild said, "President Lincoln said at Gettysburg, the world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." Marshall said the event is an annual gathering to give the opportunity for residents to honor and give thanks to the fallen brothers and sisters in the military.
Marshall closed his speech by saying, "As we lay the wreaths on their graves, please say their names."
Matthew can be reached at reporter2@cheneyfreepress.com
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