Laying of Wreaths
Tue, 2014-12-02 05:00
News Staff
Thousands flock to cemetery for 10th annual wreath ceremony.
By DAVID MORRIS
Kneeling silently next to his wife’s headstone, Bruce Ellyson said a brief prayer, kissed his hand and placed it atop the stone. Ellyson was one of thousands who gathered Saturday morning on the hallowed grounds of the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetey to place wreaths on the graves of veterans for the holidays. “You could barely walk through the crowds as thousands showed up to pay respect to our veterans,” Marty Smith said. “We were in charge of Section 2 which had over 1,900 graves that needed a wreath. The Shines really do a terrific job on this special occasion.” Volunteers from the area gathered for the 10th annual laying of the wreaths that will stay through the holidays, adding a splash of color to more than 5,000 uniform headstones that line the 174 acres south of Killeen. Of the 5,300 laid to rest in the cemetery, more than 300 veterans are unclaimed and have no family to visit.
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