(gentle string music) - Edward W. Kratochvol Junior.

Vietnam veteran.

Thank you for your service.

- Hubert H. Hynaud, thank you for your service.

(music continues) - [Narrator] In voices muffled by the snow came the names of military veterans resting in Jeanette Memorial Park, some resting for years, and some for many decades.

- This gentleman's name is Edward L. Eicher volunteer, Spanish American War.

- [Narrator] It was the day of Wreaths Across America, an annual event in which wreaths are laid upon the graves of soldiers in more than 2000 cemeteries across the country and abroad.

John T. Brennan is a Vietnam veteran who comes from a long line of soldiers.

- Here's my dad, John A. Brennan, World War II.

Thank you dad, for your service.

(soft piano music) It just brings out a flood of emotion to you.

I don't know, I guess it's tradition, but I guess you want to feel closer to your family during Christmas.

My father, he's up there.

He was a World War II veteran.

He was a Master Sergeant in the army.

He left home in 1942.

Never got back home until the end of the war.

Down here is my great-grandfather.

He was a World War I veteran, a Sergeant.

And right above him is my uncle Joe, who I've never even known.

He was also a also Staff Sergeant in World War II.

He went in in 1942.

He got killed three months before the end of the war.

I'm going to be here someday.

And I even have the, I have the place marked out.

It's right below my dad and mother.

That's when my son there, he'll be, he'll be putting my wreath on, hopefully.

- Ready Aim Fire.

(shot fired) - [Narrator] This cemetery had never been part of the wreath event.

Frank Drury is a Gulf War veteran who wanted to change that.

- It's just something that needed to be done.

- [Narrator] Even though Frank and his wife, Linda have no family veterans buried here, they raised the money to buy the wreaths, $15,000 worth from businesses and residents in the community.

- This gives back, I mean, these guys didn't ask, you know, any questions.

They did their job and we're here to do ours.

You know, a lot of these people have their family members are gone.

Nobody's here to visit these, these graves any longer.

It's, it's rewarding.

- [Narrator] Dozens of volunteers came to make sure this event happened despite the pandemic.

- 'Cause I think once we start canceling events like this that people might start to forget, and it's not okay to forget the sacrifices that these people made.

- [Narrator] The volunteers came by the carload, some carrying snow shovels and some wearing scout badges.

- I just feel like I'm surrounded by people who will protect this country for a long time - Because they helped our country be a country.

- And I just thought that it was a wonderful thing so I asked Frank if I could participate.

And again, put the wreath on my dad's grave.

David E. Deer, thank you for your service.

I love you, daddy.

He did two tours in Korea.

He was wounded twice and was a bronze star recipient.

- Clyde W. Coon, US Navy, Korean War.

Thank you for your service, brother.

Kids won't even know the veteran that's, they'll heard stories about them, you know, from their families, or moms and dads, but after generations, they just forget.

And it's up to the veterans and the people that are patriotic and care about the veterans that have fought in the past wars to come out here and do things like this to honor these veterans that fought for our freedoms.

- [Narrator] Before the day was done, there was one more wreath to carry.

Tucked in an alley a mile down the road was a rough block of stone with its face turned away, the last remaining marker from a centuries-old graveyard for early settlers.

- Henry Allshouse, Revolutionary War soldier.

Thank you for your service.

- [Narrator] It was wreath number 612.

Frank had understood there were 532 veterans' graves in the cemetery, but he kept looking and found graves of another 80 heroes.

The whole town of Jeanette came out to make sure every one of them received the honor of the name being spoken out loud, a thank you, and a wreath.

Frank says it's the least we can do.

- There's obviously been guys that have been missed here, but they're not going to be anymore.

There's nobody going to be forgotten here, so long as we're here.

And this is a way to say thank you.

(soft piano music) (music fades)