Dec. 20—Hundreds of people gathered for a Wreaths Across America ceremony to remember and honor fallen veterans at Fairlawn Cemetery on Saturday.

Around 1,500 veterans are laid to rest at Fairlawn, where the event has been held for the past five years.

Every December, hundreds of thousands of people come together on the second or third Saturday of the month to lay remembrance wreaths at 3,400 locations across the United States, at sea and abroad.

Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit based in Maine, coordinates the distribution of the wreaths. Founder Morrill Worcester and his wife, Executive Director Karen Worcester, have been actively honoring veterans in this way since 1992.

Each wreath presented honored branches of the military, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and Space Force. In addition, a wreath was presented for Veteran Suicide Awareness, Gold Star Families and POW/MIA soldiers.

Saturday's ceremony included a bagpipe prelude by Piper Curtis Burns, followed by a three-volley salute by the Cushing Donaldson-Walker American Legion Post 108.

OSU Professor of Opera April Golliver-Mohiuddin, along with Steve Sanders, Brennan Lacy, and trumpeter Will Reynolds led in songs like "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Almighty Father, Strong to Save," "God of our Fathers" and "Let There Be Peace on Earth."

The Guthrie High School Junior ROTC Cadets performed the presentation of colors, and Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce led the pledge of allegiance. U.S. Army Major General (ret) Doug Dollar gave remarks.

The ceremony also included the history of Wreaths Across America, presented by Jim Rutledge, Commander of the American Legion Post 129. Rutledge and Bill Jones, Commander of the VFW Post 2027, also led the Ceremony of the Empty Chair (POW/MIA).

Gen. Dollar narrated the presentation of wreaths, which were presented by members of the Guthrie High School Junior ROTC.

Carolyn Gang, Co-Chair of the Stillwater branch of Wreaths Across America, gave instructions for wreath laying, and then those in attendance spread out across the cemetery to lay the wreaths.

USAF Colonel (ret) Charles DeBellevue was an honorable attendee. Col. DeBellevue was a top ace aviator in Vietnam and is a recipient of the Air Force Cross.

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