On the morning of Saturday, Dec. 13, Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley quoted the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

The Reagan quote fits with the theme of Wreaths Across America, which is “To remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom.”

The Dec. 13 Wreaths Across America ceremony at Maple Leaf Cemetery was the first ever in Oak Harbor, but organizer John Burton said it won’t be the last.

“This is my way of giving back, and it will continue,” Burton said.

Before Dudley spoke, Charisse Waldron sang the National Anthem. Her stepfather and father both served in the military.

Wreaths Across America, which started at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, is an organization that honors veterans by placing wreaths on their headstones. The ceremonies take place on the same Saturday in December all over the country.

The organization makes the wreaths, and then volunteer truck drivers drive the wreaths to their designated sites.

Due to inclement weather and logistics, Burton said, 40 wreaths he was supposed to get were stuck in Kansas and didn’t arrive in time for Saturday’s presentation.

But the nine ceremonial wreaths did make it and were laid on wreath stands, donated by the Greenhouse Nursery in Oak Harbor.

One by one, family members of veterans placed wreaths in their memory.

Wreaths were presented for the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Merchant Marines, Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. There was also a wreath laid by a Blue Star mom, who has a child in the military, and a Gold Star mom, who has lost a child in the military.

The presenters for the Merchant Marines were Linda Mistler and Gene Reitnauer. Their father, High King Williams Jr., joined the Merchant Marines in 1945 and after a couple years served in the Army. He served as military police and met his wife in Berlin. In 1958, he was discharged because of 100 percent disability.

Reitnauer, who lives in Texas, said she wanted to come to the service as soon as her sister told her about it.

“I thought it was important to be here,” Reitnauer said. “I thought it was a very nice turnout.”

The person announcing the wreaths was Josh Lamb, a 24-year-old veteran who started ROTC in ninth grade and served in the Navy for two years, being medically discharged during flight school in Pensacola, Fla.

Lamb’s father, grandfather, uncles and friends all served in the military. His mother, Laurie Crone, presented the Air Force wreath in honor of her father, Harvey Wiggins Jr., who served in Korea.

Crone said her father served as a town councilman, too.

“He was strict but loose. … He was a great guy,” Crone said.

Burton, a friend of Crone’s, said many of his family members served in the military. His mother, father, brother and two grandfathers, one of which was a Pearl Harbor survivor and passed away in 2000, all served.

Burton presented the Navy wreath in remembrance of his other grandfather, who served in the Navy Air and died last month.

Burton, who is currently a Patriot Guard rider, wasn’t always committed to honoring the military.

“I knew at a young age that the military wasn’t for me,” Burton said.

He said he “was the kid who wanted to do it on his own. I went down the wrong path.”

Burton said he went through group homes and that it took him a long time to grow up.

Over the past couple years, he joined the VFW Riders motorcycle group, joined the Men’s Auxiliary and became a Patriot Guard rider. At the end of November, he became a Ryan’s House host parent. Ryan’s House is a nonprofit focused on helping Whidbey Island’s homeless youth.

Burton said he volunteered because he wanted to give back.

“I wanted to help someone who is going through what I went through as a kid,” he said. “I believe God told me it was time to start giving back.”

Burton had many friends at the ceremony Saturday morning, two of whom were brothers Corbin and Chance Kleinfelter, 15 and 16, respectively.

The Kleinfelter brothers said their father served in the military, but he retired by the time they were old enough to ask questions.

Their grandfather and stepgrandfather also served in the military.

“We’ve seen pictures,” Corbin said.

Their stepmother, April Kleinfelter’s, father served in the Coast Guard, and she presented that wreath.

Corbin and Chance both go to Coupeville High School and eventually want to join the military. Corbin said he’s probably going to be a tattoo artist first, because that’s what he’s good at, and then he might join the military.

“I’m probably gonna influence him,” Chance said. “Like I’m influencing him to do football.”

Chance said he’s one of the top five fastest players on the team.

“The football team was my family,” Chance said.

He said he wants to serve in the military to make his country and his family proud.

“I want to feel like I did something for the world,” Chance said. “I have a mission to know the world is at peace … one day.”

Corbin said he wanted to join the military “for exactly the same reasons he (Chance) said.”