At thousands of cemeteries across the country this weekend, fresh pine wreaths will be placed on veterans’ graves. 

This decades-old annual tradition is called Wreaths Across America. The names of the deceased veterans will be called out, volunteers will adorn his or her grave and thank the departed for their service.

Collectively this will happen more than a million times Saturday.

Speaking aloud the names of the dead loved one can be comforting, especially during the holidays. And when strangers recite the name on the tombstone as they lay a wreath, this, too, is significant. It's also the reasoning behind the Wreaths Across America event.

"A person really isn't dead until his name is not spoken aloud anymore," said John Denney.
 
Denney is an Army veteran. He lives in a little community along Lake Okeechobee called Buckhead Ridge.  Denney is  82. 

For decades he believed his last wish was to be buried at the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. But then he  got involved with Wreaths Across America. Now, Denney says his final resting spot will be in the small Glades County cemetery in Ortona. 
 
The Ortona Cemetery is the only cemetery in Glades County. It is a final resting place for local residents with roughly 400 military veterans also buried there.
 
As Covid was raging in 2020, Denney was asked to take over the Ortona Cemetery wreath-laying event. 

At the time the bank account to purchase the wreaths for the hundreds of veterans at the community cemetery had all of $30 in it.

Back then you could get three wreaths at a discounted price of $30. These days $30 isn’t quite enough to buy even two of the pine bough creations from the wreath-making company in Maine that began this tradition decades ago.
   
But under Denney's command, the Ortona Cemetery Wreath Fund account is flush with cash. In fact there is so much cash that Denney is able to provide neighboring counties wreaths for their veterans' graves.
 
This is especially noteworthy because Glades County is among the poorest counties in Florida.  But, while it may be cash poor,  it's apparent the county is rich with pride and patriotism.   
 
"The folks in this, this county, they are so generous, and so, I guess patriotic is a word," said Denney. "I'll take a little credit, but it's these people really, that deserve the thanks and congratulations." 
 
Denney has a wingman. His name is Stu Taylor. He's a force of nature and a big reason for the windfall of cash, said Denney.  
 
WGCU News asked to hear what a typical pitch for funds sounded like. This is a bit of what he offered:

" I say, 'Listen, this is the greatest thing in the world. You're giving back to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice — and the sacrifice of leaving their families. If you can give $17 to this, I promise you this is going to make a difference all the way around, because now you're giving back to those that gave to us the freedoms we have: Whether it's voting; whether it's freedom of speech; whether it's our right to bear arms; whatever it is, these men and women fought for the Constitution. They defended our Constitution, and they gave us the rights to live in the free-est, greatest country in the world.'"

Taylor’s pitch to Glades County civic groups and residents to sponsor a deceased vet by purchasing a wreath was so on-brand this year that he and Denney have more than enough wreaths for the 400 or so veterans buried in Ortona.  In fact, they have a whopping 1,230  additional wreaths for unsponsored vets in neighboring Hendry and Okeechobee counties. 
 
"I have done so many cool things in my life, seen some cool places, and that's my favorite thing to do," said Taylor. "It's the most stressful thing I do from August to December, but it's amazing." 
 
Volunteers are always needed to lay wreaths and speak the name of the dead at community cemeteries this Saturday.   The Wreaths Across America website can provide additional details on how you can help at a community cemetery near you.