ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Jacksonville Memory Gardens hosted its eighth annual Wreaths Across America Wreath-laying Ceremony to honor those who served the country on Saturday.
At 11:35 a.m., the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Leonard’s Express and Mission BBQ Orange Park trucks escorted the truck hauling the wreaths from St. Catherine’s Catholic Church to Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park for the ceremony.
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At noon, a moment of silence was held for all the ceremonies nationwide to remember the fallen who served.
Ryan Hopkins attended the event to lay wreaths for both his grandfathers and a great-grandfather. He said he and his family have been coming out to the ceremony for about seven or eight years.
“We come out every year, make sure we lay our wreaths and then we lay wreaths for anybody else who is out here at the cemetery,” Hopkins said.
He said this year’s event was bigger than the last few years.
“It was incredible, there were hundreds of thousands of people out here...it’s just amazing to see all of the people that have come out, even without having a relation, just a giant community event,” Hopkins said.
Each military branch was represented at the ceremony.