MESA, Ariz. — In honor of the veterans that have died in Arizona, the national organization Wreaths Across America stopped in the Valley to remember the fallen.
On Saturday morning, Wreaths Across America visited the Mountain View Cemetery in Mesa to lay down wreaths on the graves of veterans.
The names of each and every veteran who had a wreath laid on their graves were said aloud as well. This is the first year that the remembrance ceremony was held in the East Valley.
Organized by the Pinal County Veterans Memorial Foundation, approximately 3,100 wreaths were received through donations,
The Sherwin-Williams Paint Store also donated a driver and a truck to deliver all of the wreaths throughout the Phoenix area.
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“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- Maricopa
- Casa Grande
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.