Thousands to Lay Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery

Thousands of wreaths will be laid at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday for the Wreaths Across America event.

The nonprofit Wreaths Across America started an annual ceremony in 1992, and this year it will lay its one-millionth remembrance wreath, according to the organization.

The first delivery of wreaths to Arlington numbered just 5,000.

In 2011, more than 15,000 volunteers placed 90,000 wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery in little over an hour’s time. The group hopes to place 140,000 wreaths this year.

Volunteering is easy. The organization is asking anyone who is interested to be at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for the opening ceremony and briefing.

Free parking will be available in the visitor’s parking garage from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parking also is available at the Pentagon. For more information, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Family members with permanent parking passes will be allowed to access the cemetery as usual. No temporary passes will be issued. 

Agenda

8 a.m. — Arlington National Cemetery gates open to public
8:15 a.m. (approximately) — Ceremonial Wreaths Across America Truck Parade arrives at cemetery's main entrance
9:30 a.m. — Opening Ceremony at cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater
9:45 a.m. — Flyby of HMX1 helicopters (tentative)
10 a.m. — Wreath laying begins throughout the cemetery
11 a.m. — Wreath laying ceremony at President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite
11:30 a.m. — Wreath laying ceremony at USS Maine Mast
Noon — Wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns