By Bill Pickett
One of the traditions of Christmas returns to the Danville area next weekend when over 2,000 wreaths arrive at the V.A. National Cemetery. They will be placed on graves by volunteers on Saturday, December 19th…but there will be no ceremony this year. It was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Tammy Williams. She is the local coordinator for the Wreaths Across America program.
Williams says the wreaths are being placed at over 2,500 locations across the United States and around the world at locations where veterans are buried. Donations support the program each year before trucks roll delivering them to the various V-A National Cemeteries.
Volunteers who will be placing wreaths on the Danville National Cemetery graves between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Saturday are being asked to wear masks and stay socially distant.
There are 11,037 graves at the Danville National Cemetery. The site located east of the V.A. Illiana Health Care System is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
