The second annual Wreaths Across America ceremony for Lexington was held this past Saturday at Evergreen Cemetery, where volunteers gathered on a cold, windy afternoon to place wreaths on the graves of local veterans as part of a nationwide day of remembrance.
Despite the chilly conditions, the event drew enough volunteers to complete the wreath laying in under an hour. The ceremony opened with brief remarks and music before participants spread throughout the cemetery.
Organizer Ron Perkins spoke about the origins of Wreaths Across America, which began when a Maine Christmas tree farmer donated leftover wreaths to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery. What started with 5,000 wreaths has grown into a nationwide effort. This year, Perkins said, roughly four million wreaths were placed by an estimated three million volunteers at more than 5,200 locations across the country, including sites in Alaska and Hawaii.
“The purpose isn’t to decorate graves,” Perkins said. “It’s to remember, honor, and teach — especially to teach young people the value of service.”
Perkins’ grandsons led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. “Taps” was played by local trumpet player Peter Del Vecchio, and Ben Bowen ’26, pipe band major at Virginia Military Institute, performed “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.
VMI Commandant Col. Lawrence “Ley” Havird thanked veterans and community members for their service, emphasizing service as a value shared by the Corps of Cadets and the broader Lexington community.
“A life of service is what we should encourage of those within the Corps of Cadets as well as those within our community,” Havird said.
Lexington Vice Mayor Marilyn Alexander reflected on the city’s changing history and recognized two veterans with strong ties to the community: Leroy Watts, a Korean War veteran awarded two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, and Percy Johnson, an Army veteran who served two tours in Vietnam and later became a respected union leader at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Alexander noted that Johnson played a key role in recruiting local young people into military careers during and after the Vietnam War and spent his final years in Lexington before his death in September. Johnson is awaiting interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
“Lexington stands as a shining example of what can be achieved through collective effort and the relentless pursuit of a moral, just, equitable society,” said Alexander, wrapping up. “Those of you represented here today share in that pursuit in Lexington, and for that, I am most grateful.”
Fourteen VMI cadets, members of the Building BRIDGES Club, participated in the wreath laying alongside community members, volunteering during their final weekend before winter furlough. The cadets supported the local nonprofit Remembering Rockbridge Veterans as part of the national Wreaths Across America observance.
