“Certain times and certain things trigger memories,” he said. “It’s a little more than just honoring their service. Today I’m also honoring my personal memories with them around the holidays.”

The wreath-laying ceremony Saturday, which was attended by more than 3,000 people, was the second coordinated by the Gateway Blue Star Mothers, the local chapter of a nonprofit of mothers with sons or daughters in the armed forces.

Last year the group also collected a record number of wreaths donated by friends and family of dead service members as well as local nonprofit groups and businesses, receiving a total of about 13,000 wreaths, up from about 1,400 in 2016.

In the early years of the effort, there were on average about 1,500 wreaths or fewer, said Darryl Ryan, assistant director at Jefferson Barracks. At least 160 wreaths were placed at the cemetery in 2010.