Nearly 1,700 wreaths were recently placed against headstones at the Homelake cemetery for the “Wreaths Across America” project.

MONTE VISTA— On Saturday, Dec. 15, a crowd of 100 or so people gathered in the historic military cemetery outside of the Veterans Community Living Center at Homelake in Monte Vista. The event was part of “Wreaths Across America,” a project aiming to place wreaths on the gravesites of U.S. veterans during the month of December as a way of honoring their sacrifice and service.
Patricia Robertson, retired in 2017 after 33 years of service in the Air Force and National Guard, spoke briefly in remembrance of U.S. veterans. “It’s been 17 years since Sept. 11 and it’s important for people to remember those who have served this country,” she said. “That’s why we’re here today, to remember.”
The wreath project was inspired back in 2005 when a photo of 5,000 snow-covered headstones adorned with Christmas wreaths in the Arlington National Cemetery was posted on the internet. The photo went viral and the tradition began to spread. Sami Smith spearheaded Homelake’s first event in December 2006, when 45 graves were bedecked with wreaths. Smith was a strong supporter of Homelake, and she attended bingo there every Thursday for years, said Homelake admissions director Pam Self. Smith was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Del Norte.
Each year, the number of wreaths at the Homelake cemetery has grown. But this year was the first time there were enough wreaths to decorate every all 1698 headstones. There are currently 1,519 military veterans and 182 spouses buried in the cemetery, representing battles that span from the Mexican-American War to the current War in Afghanistan.
Carol Martinez helped wrangle together this year’s event. For 25 years, she worked as a nurse in the outpatient clinic at Homelake’s veteran center before retiring in 2010. Her son Sgt. Glenn Martinez was killed in action in Iraq in 2008, and he is buried in the cemetery. Martinez started helping with the Wreaths Across America project in 2007. 
Funding for the wreaths was made possible through a $7,500 grant received by the Saguache County Commissioners. An additional 200 wreaths were taken to five cemeteries in Saguache County for placement. 
The tradition of laying wreaths on veterans’ graves at the Arlington National Cemetery began in 1992 with the donation of 5,000 Christmas wreaths from Morrill Worcester, owner of Worchester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine. When Worchester was just 12 years old, he won a trip to Washington D.C. A visit to the national cemetery made a deep impression. In 1992, Worchester’s company was sitting on a surplus of wreaths towards the end the holidays. The rest, as they say, is history.
After the internet photo went viral, the Worcester family established the non-profit group Wreaths Across America to further promote veterans’ remembrance. The wreath laying, held annually on a Saturday in December, was unanimously voted by the U.S. Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day.”
At Homelake, the cemetery’s oldest headstone pays respect to Civil War veteran Freeman Morris, who died in 1891. WWII veteran Salvatore Vitale became the most recent burial in November, 2018. Each headstone is marked with the veteran’s name, birth and death dates and the war in which they served. Civil War headstones indicate the cavalry or infantry division of the veteran. “If they served during peace time, their branch of military is usually indicated” Self said.
The wreaths will remain in the cemetery through February.