SAN ANTONIO – Local organizers are rallying the community to honor 162,000 veterans’ graves with remembrance wreaths at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery this December, highlighting Military City USA’s commitment to remembering fallen service members.
“Our dream is to fill the cemetery with remembrance wreaths,” said Lettie Sanchez, location coordinator for Wreaths Across America at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. “Many come to us the day of asking why their loved one didn’t receive a wreath. It is heart-wrenching to see them walk away so disappointed and many times in tears.”
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The annual wreath-laying ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 13, following a truck convoy escorted by motorcyclists on Dec. 12.
Each wreath costs $17, with $5 going back to community partners, including American Legion Posts, VFWs and their auxiliaries, Civil Air Patrol Squadrons, school groups and Scout troops through the group sponsorship program. The last day to purchase a wreath is Friday, November 28th.
How to participate
Local residents can contribute by:
- Requesting wreaths for specific gravesites
- Becoming group leaders to adopt cemetery sections
- Volunteering for wreath placement and removal
- Joining fundraising efforts
Group leaders can adopt sections of gravesites, with wreath pickup scheduled for Friday, Dec. 12.
Immediate needs
The organization seeks:
- Corporate partners for logistics support
- Forklift operators for Dec. 12 wreath unloading
- Portable restrooms for volunteers
- Safety equipment and signage
- Volunteers for January wreath removal
- Dumpster services
Get involved
Wreath removal is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2026, with volunteers needed to place wreaths at the curb.
For more information, volunteer or group leadership opportunities, contact Letti Sanchez at 210-818-1055. To participate in the San Antonio truck convoy, contact Jerry Ramirez at 210-382-2585.
About Wreaths Across America
Since becoming a nonprofit in 2007, Wreaths Across America has distributed more than $20 million to local organizations supporting veteran remembrance efforts. The organization’s mission centers on three principles: remember, honor, and teach.
Each handcrafted wreath, made with Maine-grown balsam fir and adorned with a red velvet bow, represents ten special qualities embodied by veterans: a belief in a greater good, love for one another, strength, honesty, humility, ambition, optimism for America, concern for the future, and pride in their duties.
KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union. Click here to read about other KSAT Community efforts.