Photo By Master Sgt. Warren Wright | SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. – U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Re (right), a combat medic from...... read more read more
SCHUYLERVILLE, New York – Two noncommissioned officers from the New York National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division volunteered their time to represent the “Rainbow” Division and the U.S. Army during this year’s Wreaths Across America remembrance ceremony at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Dec. 13, 2025.
Staff Sgt. Corey Ruddock and Sgt. Anthony Re joined service members from the U.S. Navy, New York Air National Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary to honor their respective branches and others. As part of the ceremony, each representative placed a wreath in front of each service’s emblem at the cemetery’s flagpole, a solemn gesture that concluded the annual National Wreaths Across America Day.
“I’ve never been a part of anything like this; I didn’t even know it existed,” said Ruddock, an Attica, New York native. “But to honor the fallen men and women, it’s a great honor. They paved the way for all of us, for my career, my personal upbringing, the whole nine yards. I would do this again in a heartbeat.”
After spending the morning laying wreaths on the 17,000 gravestones of veterans laid to rest at the national cemetery, hundreds of visitors gathered at the flagpole to witness the concluding ceremony and take part in honoring the service members who have come before.
“The amount of people that came out, it makes it feel a lot more worth it that people care and appreciate what’s going on here,” Re, a Naugatuck, Connecticut native, said.
“Honestly, I was expecting maybe 20 to 50 people,” explained Ruddock. “But we had hundreds here, and that shows a lot of fortitude and gratitude towards us as service members and veterans, past, present, and future.”
The ceremony began with a touch of atmosphere as snow started to fall during the opening remarks from speakers, including the cemetery’s director, the commander of the Navy and Air National Guard contingents, and Gold Star family members, to name a few. Service members then laid the wreaths before the event concluded with a traditional military rifle volley of a 21-gun salute, followed by the playing of Taps. The final honor was a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
For both Ruddock and Re, outside of honoring the veterans who came before, representing the 42nd Inf. Div. and working alongside uniformed members of other branches was a highlight of the day.
“To be a cohesive front of branches across the board, that inspired me,” said Ruddock. “And the 42nd, being right out of Troy, right down the road in a sense, showing support across the board, I don’t have the words to share how emotional it is.”
“I like doing any kind of mission that involves all of us,” Re said of working alongside service members from other branches. “It’s nice to hear about where they come from and what they do, and it’s nice when we’re able to come together and make things like this happen.”
First designated in 2008, Wreaths Across America Day is an annual December event where volunteers place live balsam wreaths on veterans’ headstones at thousands of national cemeteries and other locations across the U.S. and the world, ensuring no veteran is forgotten. The national nonprofit’s mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and to teach the next generation the value of freedom.
| Date Taken: | 12.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2025 12:36 |
| Story ID: | 554365 |
| Location: | SCHUYLERVILLE, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | ATTICA, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 239 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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