Despite predictions of rain, volunteers rose early on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, and made their way to Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) in Virginia and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery (SAHNC) in Washington, D.C., to remove wreaths from gravesites and restore the cemeteries to their natural, pristine appearance.
Many volunteers had placed wreaths three weeks earlier during the public Wreaths Across America event on Dec. 13, 2025, or during the Wreaths Across America Family Pass Holder Day the weekend prior on Dec. 7. Whether returning or volunteering for the first time, each person participated to honor the fallen.
At ANC, some volunteers came with their families. Jeffrey Mathias, a firefighter from Arlington, brought his eight-year-old son, George, and his six-year-old daughter, Lucille. “I’m trying to get my kids to start learning about those who came before us and gave everything to give us the freedoms and liberties that we have today,” Mathias said.
Terry and Theresa Freeze drove from Manassas, Virginia, with their daughter, Amy, who was volunteering with coworkers. Terry has friends and colleagues buried in the cemetery, while Theresa’s brother, Sgt. Joseph Matejov, is buried in Section 34. “He was MIA from Vietnam,” she said of her brother, whose remains were eventually identified in 1995. “We come here fairly often.”
While Terry and Amy Freeze removed wreaths by hand, Theresa obtained a bamboo pole to stack multiple wreaths for easier removal. Another volunteer, Heather Parra from Richmond, Virginia, spotted her and offered to hold one end of the pole. Together, they walked between two rows of headstones, stacking wreaths.
Other volunteers also had personal connections to the military and/or the cemetery. Cynthia Houston, from Alexandria, Virginia, volunteered in honor of her former boyfriend, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brian Cowan, who was present for the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and is buried at ANC. Air Force veteran Steven McLaughlin from Onley, Virginia, saluted each headstone before he removed the wreath. “It’s respect,” he stated. “That’s how you say, ‘thank you.’”
Meanwhile, just a few miles away at Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery, volunteers participated in Wreaths Out with the same spirit of respect and dedication. Terry Hunter brought his grandson, Kenneth Young III, to volunteer with Young’s Cub Scout Pack 1869. “I’m honored to teach my grandson about this place,” Hunter said. William Freeman, a junior ROTC instructor at Cardoza Education Campus, removed wreaths as he waited for his students. “Don’t ask anybody to do anything you yourself aren’t capable of doing,” he said, with both of his arms encircled by wreaths. As his students arrived, Freeman explained why he wanted them to participate in the event: “I want to teach them about honoring our veterans and what they have sacrificed.”
As at ANC, some volunteers had personal connections to SAHNC. Emma Nostheide, a U.S. Park Ranger at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia, wished to see the graves of Civil War U.S. Army soldiers George W. Ladd (2nd New Hampshire Regiment) and Thomas Livermore Glover (1st Massachusetts Regiment). She learned about Ladd and Glover while researching an exhibit, “Faces of the Fallen,” which profiled 120 soldiers who died at or after the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (1861 and 1862) on land that is now Manassas National Battlefield Park. “I know their stories, so they matter a lot,” she explained, tears welling up in her eyes.
Kara Hosler-Smythe, a physical therapist who works with veterans who live at the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home, felt that removing wreaths at the cemetery offered a connection to her community. “The cleanup part is just a way of recognizing those who have given the ultimate cost for our country,” she said.
At both national cemeteries, volunteers braved pouring rain to honor the fallen by removing wreaths. With dedication, persistence and teamwork, they completed their monumental task—removing approximately 262,000 wreaths at ANC and approximately 14,000 at SAHNC—within just three hours. As a result of their efforts, the orderly rows of headstones and columbarium columns had been restored to their pristine condition. The holidays were over, and a new year had begun.