This year’s Wreaths Across America ceremony will take place tomorrow at 21 Veterans Cemeteries across the state.

These wreaths were placed at the Jacksonville Veterans Cemetery in 2008 as part of Wreaths Across America.

David Miller is a coordinator for the wreath-laying ceremony at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. He says the program will begin at 11:00, to coincide with the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

“All these events are open to the public and we do need help in placing these wreaths.”

Miller says the ceremonies vary somewhat, but there are several elements that are the same at all of them.

“There will be seven ceremonial wreaths representing the different military services, the Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy plus the Coast Guard, Merchant Marine as well as recognizing prisoners of war and missing in action.”

The annual ceremonies began 20 years ago when Worchester Wreath Company in Maine sent surplus wreaths to Arlington to be placed on graves there. Since then, the program has grown to include all 50 states and U.S. war graves overseas.

Visit Worchester’s website to find a list of participating cemeteries in Missouri.