National Wreaths Across America Ceremony Day is Saturday, December 13, 2025, across our nation and abroad. Around the globe, ceremonies take place at 11:00. Devine’s will take place for the fourth year under the shade of the ceremony oak that spans Devine Evergreen and St. Joseph cemeteries on Colonial Parkway. WAA is a national nonprofit whose year-long mission is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach our children the value of freedom. This is a good time to share past themes and a few cemetery locations that might be of interest to you and needs your support.
Through the coordination and leadership of the Current Events Club, Devine has participated in WAA’s mission since 2022. That year’s theme, “Find a Way to Serve,” stressed the importance of service to community and country, especially with WAA’s expanded educational program. We partnered with Devine ISD to participate in their long tradition of Veteran’s Day programs at CIS and DIS schools. In cemetery preparations for ceremony day, we had school organizations from Devine and Natalia volunteer in cemetery preparations such as locating and mapping veteran graves and placing US flags on Pearl Harbor Day; at our ceremony we had youth participation in the presentation of colors, and afterwards with the laying of wreaths. We met countless families that first year to locate and verify veterans, honoring almost 525 veterans and their families on that first National Ceremony Day.
2023’s theme was “Serve and Succeed,” focusing on “the positive impact of service and how it can help individuals succeed in life.” Within our community, the Current Events Club created the flag display at Devine’s Four-Corners to commemorate patriotic dates throughout the year, reminding citizens to “fly your American flag”. We joined with and in support of the VFW’s annual Memorial Day ceremony. We included the 4th grade students in WAA’s ceremony day, added TAPS by a DHS trumpet player, and a Natalia honor student and future service member’s participation in leading the Pledge of Allegiance. We also continued our participation in the school events at the elementary and intermediate campuses. Many more families and friends added veterans to our cemeteries’ lists, and our community honored just over 625 veterans.
Last year’s theme, “Live with Purpose,” focused on veterans and military families “who have found success though service and highlighted the idea of making every day meaningful after adversity”. Men and women right here where we live contribute in their work and daily tasks of raising families, helping neighbors, serving in school, church, and civic organizations. Cemetery mapping was a major goal of the club, organizing the sections in both cemeteries by rows. The projects of past years continued. Because of community support, coordinated efforts of the Current Events Club, and many volunteers, the third year of this mission added 40 more veterans.
This year’s theme is “Keep Moving Forward,” and locations honoring our veterans continue to grow. This theme is inspired by the last words of U.S. Army Captain Joshua Byers, KIA in Iraq in 2003. The theme encourages volunteers and supporters to “continue their mission of remembrance, honor, and service.” Locations have grown from 4,909 in 2024, with over 3 million veterans honored, to over 5,200 locations in 2025. The most recent location added here in our county is in Lytle. For the fourth year, at St Joseph and Devine Evergreen cemeteries, every identified veteran will be honored. Growing across Medina County, veteran names will be spoken by volunteers, family, and friends; wreaths will be placed in their memories and stories shared.
National and State cemeteries across Texas take part in National Wreaths Across America Day. These locations often do not have the coordination, financial, and/or volunteer support that community cemeteries have to honor every veteran. There are two national cemeteries in San Antonio – San Antonio National Cemetery, established in 1867, and Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, established in 1926. Fort Sam took over all veteran burials in 1931 when SANC reached capacity. If you would like to sponsor wreaths for these cemeteries or any national cemetery, go to the Current Events Club’s webpage at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/TX1147P Donations made from the club’s location also benefit our community and is our group’s primary fundraiser.
For more information, contact WAA Location Coordinators Linda K. @830-665-6377 or Martha W. @210-213-5620. Please leave a message.
WAA’s Themes and Nearby National Cemeteries
Volunteers will be placing wreaths on each veteran’s grave on December 13th in Devine, Lytle and Bigfoot as part of Wreaths Across America.
