BLUFFDALE — Cemeteries often feel a little busier during the holidays, as families visit loved ones to keep their memories alive.
For Stephanie Higham and her family, visiting the Utah Veteran’s Cemetery and Park in Bluffdale wasn’t about seeing someone they knew.
Instead, for them, it was about honoring those they had never met.
Higham and her family were among more than a hundred people who attended the annual Wreaths Across America event, where wreaths are placed on the graves of veterans nationwide.
It emphasizes not only laying wreaths but also saying the names of each veteran aloud, a gesture meant to keep their memory alive.
James Childs, a retired Air Force veteran from Lehi, was among the volunteers who placed wreaths. He recently moved to Utah and loves seeing the support the program has.
“It’s important to me that people aren’t forgotten,” Childs said. “If you think about every wreath, that’s somebody’s sacrifice for us to have the freedoms that we have.”
This year, more than 1,300 wreaths were purchased through donations from individuals and companies. The ceremony lasted less than an hour, but its impact, particularly with children, could last a lifetime.
“I think Utah has actually been pretty good in not forgetting,” he said. “There is always some kind of event going on or something remembering people and that always makes me happy.”
