U.S.
PHOTO GALLERYVolunteers place wreaths at the US Naval Academy Cemetery
Stars and Stripes
December 14, 2019
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery's columbarium in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A wreath is placed at the final resting place of Marine Corps 1st Lt. David Remick, during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery's columbarium in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A wreath and statue at the grave of Vice Adm. Edward C. Waller during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. Waller served as the academy's superintendent from 1981 to 1983. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A wreath at the grave of Midshipman Kenneth Neptun during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. Neptun died of leukemia weeks before he was to graduate from the academy in 2002. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
The grave of Capt. Frederick V. McNair Jr. is adorned with a wreath during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. McNair was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery at Veracruz, Mexico, in 1914. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A wreath at the grave of Capt. Edward L. Beach, Jr. during Wreaths Across America at the Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. In the background is Beach Hall, named in honor of Beach and his father. The younger Beach was a submariner and author of the novel "Run Silent, Run Deep." (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Midshipmen place wreaths during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Midshipmen salute during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
Wreaths are placed at the Class of 1937's memorial to the missing during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A bugler plays taps at the start of Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen prepare to place wreaths during Wreaths Across America at the Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A young participant in Wreaths Across America places a wreath at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
A wreath is placed at the grave of Sen. John McCain during Wreaths Across America at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., December 13, 2019. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Wreaths Across America came to the U.S. Naval Academy cemetery a day early on Friday, as volunteers placed more than 2.500 wreaths at the final resting places of sailors and Marines of all ranks.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of wreaths will be placed at cemeteries around the nation and overseas. But for the Naval Academy midshipmen who took part in Friday's event, Saturday is also the day of the annual Army-Navy football showdown in Philadelphia.
The Naval Academy Cemetery dates back to the late 1860s, and is the final resting place of such notables as Adm. Arleigh Burke, Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, Adm. Ernest King and, most recently, Sen. John McCain.