EDWARDSVILLE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Edwardsville police lead the parade for a patriotic event this time of year.
A crowd gathered Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park for the 11th Annual Warrior Christmas Tree Lighting.
The tree honors those who have served and are missed at home by family and friends.
The various colored stars on the tree represent veterans' reserves, those wounded in action, active duty in combat and deployed, those killed in action, and POWs and MIAs.
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22 pairs of combat boots at the base of the Christmas Tree symbolize the number of veterans lost to suicide each day.
"It's nice that they know or that I know when I was over there that people were back here remembering us and thinking of us and I think that's really important," said AMVETS Department Service Officer Michael Price
"They're not forgotten. We know that they are out there. We know they aren't at home. We know that they are out there or they are at home and they are missing someone," Edwardsville Warrior Tree Project Founder Karen Declet.
Declet says the tree will stay lit in the park each day from dusk to dawn.
