TRIANGLE, Va. – U.S. Marines, veterans, families and members of the local community gathered at the National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico for the annual Memorial Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony, May 25.
Those in attendance were reminded that the Americans enjoy today were secured through those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while answering the nation’s call.
“Freedom is never free,” said Damion M. Jacobs, director of the NMCQ. “This ceremony serves as our nation’s promise to honor, remember and never forget those who gave their lives in service to others.”
During the ceremony, Marines carried and placed a ceremonial wreath at the memorial site as a symbol of remembrance and the nation’s enduring commitment to honor those who gave their lives to protect our country.
Dating back to 1868, Quantico’s Wreath-Laying Ceremony was first observed as Decoration Day, where community members, families and friends decorated the graves of fallen service members. Today, ceremonies like the one held at NMCQ continue that legacy by bringing together generations of Americans in a shared act of remembrance.
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Jenny A. Colegate, commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Quantico, emphasized that Memorial Day serves as a reminder that those honored are more than names and ranks.
“They died believing their service mattered, and they died leaving behind families who still carry that absence every single day,” said Colegate to the crowd.
She then pointed her attention to the Gold Star Families and said, “No speech can fully honor what you have carried, but this nation remembers your loved ones, and we remember with you.”
As rows of white headstones stand in a silent tribute, the annual wreath-laying ceremony reaffirms the nation’s enduring commitment to honor those who gave their final act of devotion.
“Memorial Day is not a day for celebration or long speeches,” said Chief Master Sgt. John F. Bentivenga, the chief master sergeant of the Space Force, reinforcing what Colegate expressed. “It is a reminder that the blanket of liberty that we sleep under every night was woven by the sacrifices of those who served and those who never came home.”
Through traditions such as the annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony, the Marine Corps and the Quantico community ensure the memory of the fallen live on for generations to come.