Volunteers needed to pick up wreaths at Johnson City veterans cemetery

Volunteers are needed to help pick up thousands of wreaths on the graves of veterans at Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee.

In mid-December, about 7,800 green wreaths with red ribbons were placed on the graves at the historic cemetery. As part of Wreaths Across America, local coordinator David Carter said the wreaths allowed the public to honor fallen veterans over the holidays.

Just two years ago, about 2,505 wreaths were placed on graves at the cemetery, where more than 16,000 veterans are buried.

The Wreaths Across America tradition began when Maine wreath-maker Morrill Worcester donated 5,000 wreaths to the Arlington Cemetery in northern Virginia. A total of 1.2 million wreaths were to be placed on markers across the country this past Christmas in 1,238 locations, including Mountain Home Cemetery.

Those wreaths, which are spread across the Johnson City cemetery campus, will be picked up on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 9 a.m.

"Please bring rakes, gloves, and brooms or ropes to carry the wreaths," according to a statement on the event's Facebook page. "There are approximately 7,800 wreaths that need to be picked up. The more volunteers we have, the quicker the wreath recovery will be."

Everyone is invited to assist in the cleanup.

Local residents can already begin preparing for the 2018 Wreaths Across America event.

In advance, the public can donate to the cause by going to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and searching for the Mountain Home National Cemetery location. Family members can dedicate a wreath to a specific veteran by contacting a local veteran services organization, such as the Tri-Cities Military Affairs Council.