More than 750 people gathered Saturday to participate in the sixth annual Wreaths of Remembrance.
MONROE TWP - Placing a wreath on a gravesite might be a simple gesture to honor a lost loved one during the holiday season, but it's a heartfelt token of appreciation for military service members buried at the Gloucester County Veterans Memorial.
More than 750 people gathered Saturday to participate in the sixth annual Wreaths of Remembrance, a joint effort undertaken by the People for the People of Gloucester County, the county's Veterans Advisory Committee and the Rotary Club of Glassboro, to honor and remember the sacrifices made by every service member and his or her family.
An eerie silence fell among the crowd as they stood at the final resting place for thousands of service men and women. The sounds of honorary gunfire echoed across the memorial on North Tuckahoe Road in Williamstown.
It marked the beginning of the yearly holiday tradition, sending volunteers off to pick up wreaths at designated spots.
"The mission of the program is may we never forget," said Bernadette Blackstone , one of the founders of the honorary ceremony and CEO of People for the People. "It's to honor and (show) respect for veterans and their families for the sacrifices that they've made."
During opening remarks, Gloucester County Freeholder Deputy Director Giuseppe "Joe" Chila said every military service man and woman put their lives on the line and "signed the blank check paid to the United State of America . . . for the freedom of strangers." He said it's the duty of every citizen to "offer them a hand up, not a hand out."
Honoring the fallen and those currently serving like the wreath laying ceremony is one way, he said.
According to Blackstone, the People for the People Foundation - a Gloucester County private, nonprofit organization meant to help area residents and families in need - raised more than $15,000
The annual holiday ceremony mirrors a national wreath-laying effort, Wreaths Across America, a national nonprofit that started in 2007 to expand the ceremony beyond the Arlington National Cemetery.
In 2013, the national nonprofit placed 540,000 wreaths, including 143,000 at the Arlington National Cemetery.
The local effort has grown over the years, starting in 2011 with 1,100 wreaths placed on gravesites. Now, 2,300 wreaths were given out to volunteers to decorate each burial site at the memorial where 2, 858 veterans, fallen service men and women, and spouses are buried.
But it's the personal touch of performing graveside ceremonies at every plot that organizers say set this day of remembrance apart from the rest.
A prayer card is handed out to each volunteer, asking them to recite the one-line prayer before the wreath is placed at the foot of the headstone, and then say "may we never forget." The ceremony is ended with a salute.
Donna and Ken Iannelli, parents of Cpt. Ryan Iannelli, stood by a gently placed wreath that sat next to a small Christmas tree with baby photos of their son.
Ryan, who died in combat in September 2011, was buried a few feet from his grandfather, World War II U.S. Army veteran Angelo Futia.
Ryan's mother, Donna, said the annual wreath ceremony is a testament of support for all veterans and military service members, including their son, from the community and county.
"It's like a big, comforting hug," she said..
Glenn Fisher was there with his aunt, Soon Im Conboy to pay tribute to his uncle William Conboy, a U.S. Marine Corp. veteran who served in Korea and Vietnam.
Conboy died in 2011, and the family participated in the ceremony since his death.
"It's beautiful," Conboy's wife said as she stood up from fixing the display placed on her husband's grave.
"It's nice to just take a moment and spend time, especially around the holidays," Fisher said.
Members of the South Jersey Vietnam Veterans Association were onsite handing out hot beverages to the attendees.
"It's one of the nicest things I think we can do right now," said U.S Marine Corp veteran Charles Gallagher, who served in Vietnam and was there with the South Jersey Vietnam Veterans Association