LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Hundreds of wreaths are marking the graves of Nebraska and Iowa veterans as part of a nationwide memorial effort. More than 500 wreath-laying ceremonies were held Saturday – Wreaths Across America Day – to honor both living and dead veterans. Seventeen ceremonies were held at Nebraska cemeteries or veterans’ memorials. In Lincoln, more than 100 volunteers helped lay 645 wreaths at Wyuka Cemetery. Some 170 others were laid at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell.

A ceremony at the Iowa Veterans Ceremony near Van Meter was among six held in that state. Seven ceremonial wreaths were laid on memorials for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and POW/MIA. In Johnson County, some 75 volunteers laid 1,155 wreaths on veterans’ graves.