COLUMBIA, S.C. — Families spent Saturday honoring and remembering the fallen at Fort Jackson Nation Cemetary with a special ceremony and wreath-laying for Wreaths Across America.
Close to 10,000 wreaths were laid across gravesites during the event by not only family members but also volunteers and other attendees.
"The sacrifices of our military and their families - our military, they volunteer; their families are voluntold - and their jobs are just as important as supporting their loved ones," said location coordinator Carol Davis with Wreaths Across America.
One family member spoke about putting a wreath on her dad Robert Bowers' gravesite at Fort Jackson and how it helped her to remember the sacrifices he made.
"He was based in Beruit, Lebanon, and Karlsruhe, Germany the first two years," Robin Crapps said. "He came back to the United States, back home to Savannah, Georgia - became a National Guardsman. And then we moved here when I was nine and he was transferred and he became one of South Carolina's weapons specialists."
"To me, honestly, it means - it means they didn't fight for this country for nothing, and they're not forgotten," says Kadee McGill, Bowers' granddaughter.
Meanwhile, Davis has some advice for anyone who comes upon someone who has served.
"Whenever you see a veteran or their family members, thank them because your freedom is because of them," she said.