Related Video: Soldiers honor the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day

MASON COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – An area teenager participated in a special, national ceremony this Memorial Day.

Preston McCormick of Mason County helped to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He and Dr. Wayne Reynolds of Vietnam Veterans of America walked on the guard line together to present the wreath at the tomb.

Preston, an honor student from Wahama High School, is currently on a week-long internship with VVA working in the IT, Marketing and Government Affairs departments. He will enter the 10th Grade in the fall.

Preston says the honor was special to him because his family’s military background has helped him understand the significance of Memorial Day.

“Today I got an opportunity to do something very few get the chance to do. I laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Having a grandfather, dad and two brothers who served, I knew the significance of serving and also knew that Memorial Day was all about those who died for my freedom and for America,” Preston said. “Today I walked with a Vietnam Veteran Wayne Reynolds who served in Vietnam and also retired from teaching. It was an incredible honor to be at the ceremony and the site that holds the remains of Those Known Only to God at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Breaking News

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier serves as “a symbolic grave for all war dead whose remains have not been found or identified,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The department says it was originally the resting place of one unidentified World War I service member. Today, it stands as the grave of three unidentified service members. The sarcophagus holds the remains of the WWI soldier while the remains of an unidentified WWII service member and an unidentified Korean War service member lie in smaller crypts in front.

A third, empty crypt sits between the WWII and Korean War graves to represent the service members still missing from Vietnam, according to the Department of Defense.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.