Midland’s Fairview Cemetery has the look of appreciation this holiday season, thanks the Patriot Guard Riders.
Founded in 2005, the Patriot Guard Riders are well-known for appearing at veterans' funerals and shielding their loved ones from taunts and jeers. But their Christmas tradition is a quieter one.
“We are placing wreaths on the graves of our fallen heroes, and if you look, you’ll see we have several out there and we’ll be putting about 1,500 wreaths on this cemetery,” Patriot Guard Riders member Jim Basse told NewsWest9.
Since it was established in 1885, hundreds of servicemen and women have been buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Midland, equating to historical significance for many across the community for all those deserving of the same respect no matter what war they come from or what rank they held while they served.
"It's awe inspiring to know that all these people, all these veterans that we're placing a wreath on, they all served, they all gave what they had and many of them, if you look back at the markers on the graves, a lot of them were killed in action, a lot of them didn't make it home," Basse added.
Basse and others insist it’s the least that can be done in honor of those that have given so much.
"We place the wreath, come to attention, salute, repeat the person's name and then go on, we do that because that way that person is never forgotten, as long as your name is still being said you'll never be forgotten," he said.
And he knows the holidays can be a difficult time for the grieving.
"For Christmas, because Christmas is hard on some people, one of them we came across ... the family of this one particular veteran had placed a pecan pie on his grave. I guess he liked pecan pie, and there's a pecan pie sitting out there which is really cool," said Basse.