A Wreath for Every Hero: Ashland Memorial Park Cemetery Continues Tradition to Honor Veterans
- Abigail Muniz-Garcia
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
(This article was written by Abigail Muniz-Garcia and was featured in the December 2025 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)
Evergreen wreaths of balsam fir adorned with a red, hand-tied bow are gently placed on veteran graves at Ashland Memorial Park Cemetery in Harlingen on the second Saturday in December every year. The purpose? To honor and remember their service.
Last year more than 3 million wreaths were placed on veteran graves across the United States. The initiative, which informally started in 1992 with Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Maine, was named Wreaths Across America in 2007. The mission of the organization was established then. It is to remember, honor, and teach.
Diana Campbell, cemetery manager and location coordinator at Ashland Memorial Park Cemetery, says Ashland started participating eight years ago.
“We didn’t know anything about it until a lady with a veteran’s group here in Harlingen brought it up,” Campbell said.
Ever since then, the cemetery has joined the 4,900 others doing the same in partaking in this annual tradition.
This year, the event will take place on Saturday, December 13 at 10 am. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Judge David Sanchez of the 444th District Court of Cameron County. This day also happens to be “Wreaths Across America Day,” which was unanimously voted as such by the United States Congress in 2008.
For Campbell, it is especially meaningful since both her father and husband are veterans.
“I am a daughter of a veteran and a wife of a veteran,” she said. “It means a lot to me because my dad passed away three years ago, so three years ago was the first time I… was honored to know that my dad served our country and that the whole nation recognized him on that day. Even though they didn’t know his name, he was a veteran and he takes part of the honoring that day.”
There are 222 veterans buried at Ashland. Campbell mentions that they are always looking for sponsors for the $17 wreaths that are delivered from Maine every year.
Even the deliveries involve volunteers since volunteer drivers make the cross-country journey to various cemeteries and locations around the nation, dropping off millions of wreaths.
“It’s a big undertaking,” Campbell said.
She hopes the community knows that they too can get involved in this yearly event.
“They can attend the event,” she said. “They can come out here and help us lay wreaths on the graves… if they can’t donate for a wreath, they can donate their time and just come be with us.”
Campbell mentions that there are graves that don’t get visited anymore due to aging relatives or perhaps because their family is long since gone.
“There are veterans that don’t have families that come visit them… there’s no flowers, nobody’s come to see them in a while, and even if just once a year, that veteran can have something, it’s all worth it,” Campbell said.
For more information, please visit Ashland Memorial Park Cemetery on Facebook and to sponsor a wreath you can scan the QR code.