Cobb County

Group aims to make sure all veterans have Christmas wreaths at metro cemetery

MARIETTA, Ga. — A group of metro area women who served in the United States Marine Corps are on a mission to honor thousands of local veterans.

It’s part a program called Wreaths Across America. More than 1.6 million graves were decorated in 1,600 military cemeteries from coast to coast.

Over the weekend, local veterans visited Marietta National Cemetery to decorate gravesites to make sure none of those vets are forgotten.

There are more than 18,000 service men and women laid to rest at the cemetery. Holiday wreaths were placed on 7,000 graves so far, but there weren’t nearly enough for all of them.

The Marines don’t want that to happen again.

Former active Marine Johnetta Williams told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen that it’s a long-standing vow of the U.S. military to leave no soldier behind.

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“What we want ultimately is for all the 18,000 plus graves to be covered with a wreath,” Williams said.

Williams and fellow members of the Women Marines Association crisscrossed Marietta National Cemetery over the weekend, placing wreaths on the graves of thousands of Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen.

Donors sponsor a wreath and the nonprofit provides matching funds to purchase as many as possible.

Williams told Petersen she and the Marines in her group will double their efforts next year so that all of these heroes get the honor they deserve.

“We want to push for full participation for 2020 and have all the veterans remembered. First to the last,” Williams said.

This tradition began back in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery.