As Veterans day comes and goes it is important to continue to celebrate and honor all that has been sacrificed for our freedoms. Wreaths Across America Day is a national event where citizens gather at cemeteries across the country to place wreaths on the graves of veterans. This year a handful of San Marcos citizens have worked to raise funds to place a wreath on every veteran laid to rest at the San Juan Cemetery just down the road in Reedville. The ceremony will be held Saturday Dec. 13 at 10 a.m.
The San Marcos Parks Department partners with Wreaths Across America to honor those in the San Marcos Cemetery each year. Just down the road is the San Juan Cemetery where many San Marcos veterans have their final resting place.
Linda Perez visits the San Juan Cemetery often to visit her late brother. She would often walk the grounds with her husband Felix and count how many veteran graves they could find. Each walk grew the numbers from 30 veterans found to 50 and eventually a total count now at 86. Perez has been mapping out the locations in preparation for the Wreaths Across America ceremony.
She has partnered with the local GI Forum to raise money for the Wreaths as each comes with a shipping cost.
“We need to remember these people, they sacrifice everything,” Perez said. “I don’t want them to be forgotten at Christmas, many of their families are gone.”
Perez honors the notion that freedom is not free, raising five sons that all became Marines. Her husband Felix also served, heading to Vietnam right after graduating from San Marcos High School in 1967.
“We’re having a fundraiser, so we can raise a lot of money to buy the wreathes at a $20 cost and try to get us at least a wreath for all the veterans that are buried out there. And right now we’re almost at about 75% of the goal,” GI Forum Treasurer Jesse Sanchez said. “Our objective is to make the people aware that there are veterans over there [at the San Juan Cemetery] and that we need to do something for those people that are buried out there.
Donations are still being accepted until the Nov. 25 deadline to help them reach their goal of honoring each Veteran out there. Contact the San Marcos GI Forum to donate at 512-665-0881 or email at [email protected]. Donations can also be sent to Linda Perez at 512-925-5334 or email [email protected].
