NATCHEZ — Ruth Williams’ father, the Rev. Matthew Anderson, often told his children about the time he spent in the U.S. Marine Corps as a sniper during World War II.

And when Williams and her granddaughter, Trinija Franklin, placed a wreath Anderson’s grave at the Natchez National Cemetery Saturday morning, she couldn’t help but miss him.

Williams and Franklin were participants in Wreaths Across America, a national event in which organizers honor veterans and their families by placing wreaths on their graves. Saturday’s placing of the wreaths in Natchez included a brief ceremony during which “Taps” was played.

“When they played ‘Taps,’ it gets me every time, but today it really got to me,” Williams said.

Anderson died at 93 in September, and Williams said he joined her mother and two uncles as family members in the national cemetery.

“I really appreciated the ceremony today,” Williams said. “It is a family thing that really brings back memories.”

Wreaths Across America got its start in 1992 when the Worchester Wreath Company produced more holiday wreaths than the company could use. Rather than trash the thousands of extra wreaths, the company donated 5,000 wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery to be placed on headstones there.

The program eventually grew to include other national cemeteries. The Natchez cemetery has participated since 2003. This year, in addition to the seven ceremonial wreaths that represented the five branches of the armed forces, prisoners of war and the missing in action and the merchant marines, approximately 800 wreaths were placed on graves.

Natchez Wreaths Across America organizer Oscar Seyfarth said the goal in honoring veterans this way is to show a united national front.

“The freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price,” he said. “Lying here before us and in cemeteries across the nation are men and women who gave their lives for our rights.”

The message of the wreaths is not only to remember those who have died but those who are still alive, and to remind them they have not been forgotten.

“When you see a veteran or an active duty member of the armed services, take a moment to say ‘Thank you,’” Seyfarth said to those present. “You owe your life to them, and the moment will be well worth it.”

Adams County Board of Supervisors President Darryl Grennell presented a resolution adopted by the county board commending the Wreaths Across America effort, and said he hopes the community can one day rally to place a wreath on every headstone in the National Cemetery.

“We, as a people, have a duty, promises to keep to let those veterans — and those who are active duty and living — to know ‘We appreciate you,’” Grennell said.

Another aim of Wreaths Across America is to teach children about what has been done for the country by those who served, Seyfarth said.

“We want children to understand that the freedoms you enjoy today came at a cost that you might one day have to pay yourself,” he said.

More information about Wreaths Across America can be found at wreathsacrossamerica.org.