Agawam honors veterans by placing wreaths on 10,000 graves
AGAWAM — The Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Agawam joined a nationwide tradition of remembrance as part of the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony on Saturday.
Hundreds of staff and volunteers — including students from local schools, civic groups and veterans' organizations — came together to distribute more than 10,000 wreaths across the cemetery grounds.
"We're here, across the country, and at more than 4,600 locations like this one, millions of Americans are gathering as one nation to remember, to honor and to teach," said Dave Madsen from Western Mass News, who hosted the ceremony. "We gather to give thanks for those who gave their lives to keep us free."
Veterans, families, and community members gathered to hear tributes, observe the laying of wreaths and hear reminders about the cost of freedom.
Among the speakers was Tracy J. Taylor, a Gold Star Mother, who spoke about her son, Army Specialist Kenneth Iwasinski, who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2007.
"Sharing Kenny's story is a way of keeping his memory alive," Taylor said. "It is important for me and for all of us who have lost loved ones to remember their lives, not just how they were taken from us."
The event was started at the cemetery in 2011 with just 150 wreaths and has grown ever since.
More than two million volunteers across all 50 states and abroad participated in the effort, laying wreaths on the graves of American service members to honor their sacrifice.
More Western Mass. Content
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
