Gov. Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott appeared at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin on Saturday to honor the service and sacrifice of Texans at the Wreaths Across America wreath-laying ceremony.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Abbott has participated in the event, which was also attended by Wreaths Across America chair Missy Roberts, Texas State Cemetery Committee chair Tom Sellers, and Texas State Cemetery Committee board members Jim Bayless and Carolyn Hodges, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit that was founded in 2007 that honors military veterans across the country. The organization also works with local veterans groups and teaches children across the United States about the freedoms that were brought by the soldiers who have fought to protect the country.
“Today, we gather to honor those who served our country to ensure the freedoms we enjoy each and every day,” said Abbott.
“To serve your country and give your life for your fellow citizens takes courage and selflessness that many in this nation will never know. My brother, Bud, is a retired Commander in the U.S. Navy, where he served for 20 years,” he said. “I’m proud of his service to our country and the service of so many brave men and women like him. By laying these wreaths, we acknowledge the sacrifice of our veterans, and we honor those who still serve the greatest nation in the history of the world.”
Abbott also presented 12-year-old Remmer Machamer with a proclamation that commemorated his efforts to honor Texas veterans, as he has raised more than $75,000 in the past six years by going door-to-door, organizing community fundraising events, and speaking before organizations, according to the press release.
Events such as these are not uncommon for Abbott, who also went skydiving with World War II veteran and assembly line worker Al Blaschke earlier this month, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Abbott said in a statement about the jump that “Texans and Americans owe so much to the brave men and women who serve our nation and protect the freedoms that we enjoy each and every day.”
“I am proud to share my first skydiving jump with Al Blaschke to honor veterans like him who helped safeguard the freedoms and promise of our country for generations of Americans,” he said.