This Christmas, every headstone at Dallas Fort-Worth National Cemetery will be decorated with a wreath thanks to the efforts of North Texans who stepped up.
There were solemn moments of remembrance as wreaths were placed on headstones. The names of the veterans were said aloud before wreaths were placed on their graves to honor them.
“I’m a very proud mom, both military and blue," Valerie Zamarripa said. "And it kind of helps heal. But I’ll never heal."
Her son, Officer Patrick Zamarripa, was one of the five police officers shot and killed on July 7, 2016.
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According to Wreaths Across America, 48,500 graves still needed a wreath, and generous NBC 5 viewers helped answer that call.
“The fact that the community of DFW came together and made sure that everybody was honored with a wreath says a lot about where we live,” volunteer Jane Geelan-Sayres said.
Nearly 3,000 wreaths were sponsored through NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 Veteran's Network's donation page. Veteran's Network is an employee resource group within NBC Universal.
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Cynthia Garcia is a member and a Gold Star mother. She, her friends, and her colleagues came out to honor her son, Adam, who was mortally wounded in Iraq and buried at DFW National Cemetery.
Paying tribute to her son and others who have made the ultimate sacrifice is her way of making sure their memory lives on.
“We honor him, as well as the other soldiers who have given their lives for our country and for our freedom,” said Garcia.
DFW National Cemetery is one of the largest in the country, with a capacity of 280,000.
The wreaths are donated and placed on headstones by volunteers and family.
