Local observance of national Wreaths Across America takes place Dec. 16 at Memorial Park in Warwick

WARWICK — National Wreaths Across America, an observance to honor the memory of service men and women by placing a wreath on every veteran's grave, takes place this Saturday, Dec. 16, in Memorial Park in Warwick beginning at 1 p.m.
Similar ceremonies will be held on the same day at Arlington National Cemetery as well as 1,200 additional locations across the United States, at sea and abroad.
"We encourage every volunteer who places a wreath on a veteran's grave to say that veteran's name aloud and take a moment to thank them for their service to our country," said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. "It's a small act that goes a long way toward keeping the memory of our veterans alive.
"We are not here to 'decorate graves,'" Worcester added. "We're here to remember not their deaths, but their lives."