ST. GEORGE, Utah — Utahns gathered Saturday to honor those who have served our country, and to educate others on the meaning of our military members’ sacrifices.
The annual Wreaths Across America ceremony was held Saturday at the Tonaquint Cemetery in St. George.
“In life, they honored our country. In death, our country honors them,” said Bronwyn Mount, a Gold Star mother and the keynote speaker at the event.
Bronwyn's son Bryan, known as "Cooper," grew up in Parowan.
“He enjoyed skiing in the mountains, and that prepared him for when he was a paratrooper,” said Bronwyn.
Cooper was killed while serving in the U.S. Army in 2020 while protecting his fellow paratroopers at just 25 years old.
“When he found out his unit was deploying again, Cooper quickly volunteered to go back to 3rd platoon,” explained his mother. “So he could be a platoon leader and a gunner during this deployment. This is the perfect symbol of the man he was. Always willing to lead from the front.”
Now, he lives on, in part through the branches of wreaths placed on his gravestone and those of other veterans.
“I don’t think I had ever heard of Wreaths Across America until after Cooper had passed and I received a call from Valerie King. She was reaching out to let me know she would be placing dog tags with Cooper’s name on a living tree located in Maine,” said Bronwyn. “Maybe one of the wreaths you place today has branches from his tree.”
Wreaths Across America location coordinator Valerie King said they had a record 4,200 locations participating in events like the one in St. George this year.
She said it’s a record they hope continues to be broken as they spread their message across the country.
“To remember the fallen, honor those who have served, and to teach the children the value of freedom,” said King.
