Saturday’s wreath laying ceremony at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery was the event’s 10th anniversary. But for Suffolk’s Linda Copeland, the experience was a new one.

Her husband of 36 years, Alexander Copeland, was buried at the cemetery this year. The Army veteran died of natural causes in April, and Linda Copeland brought their granddaughter to honor his memory.

“You just can’t really explain it,” Linda Copeland said, as she and 5-year-old Sabrina Copeland knelt on the damp ground together, using a hand each to place a wreath.

“I’m going to try to come every year, because he was a good man. All of them were good. The Lord knows best.”

Somewhere along another row of headstones, Virginia Beach’s Michael Wersosky II handed his 2-year-old daughter Kaydence a wreath, pointing to where her grandfather is buried.

Col. Michael J. Wersosky, an Army veteran, died in October last year. He knew Caydence for 1 ½ years.

“She sees pictures of him around the house,” Michael Wersosky II said. “She likes coming to give him hugs.”

Caydence Wersosky did just that — hugged her grandfather’s headstone — before she took the wreath from her father and propped it there.

Such are the personal stories that numbered so many among the volunteers who placed 5,800 wreaths this year, up from 5,200 in 2013.

Those figures were cited by Betty Hand, president of the Horton Wreath Society, which organizes the event every year.

“The volunteer crowd was much larger this year,” Hand said. “Participation in the ceremony was significantly larger than years past.”

In fact, the bleachers were at capacity and many folks stood to hear the official remarks. Guest speaker John C. Harvey Jr., Virginia’s secretary of veterans and defense affairs and a retired Navy admiral, spoke of the Old Dominion’s affinity for those who serve their nation.

“So much of our nation’s history took place here in Virginia, and so much of it was determined by those in uniform,” Harvey said.

During his time in the service, Harvey said, he spent a lot of time in places were “history overwhelmed the people” — like the Balkans and Middle East.

“America’s a little different,” he said, adding the colonists came here to escape religious persecution or find commercial freedom.

“Here in America, we look ahead, we look forward.” But it often means Americans “forget where that gift of our freedom comes from,” Harvey said.

That’s why Saturday’s ceremony was so important, he explained. “You are coming here not just to remember, but to renew what their sacrifice meant.”

Among the many volunteer groups were motorcycle clubs, churches, schools, veteran’s organizations and the ubiquitous Boy Scouts and Girl Guides troops.

Danielle Schreiner, 11, was with Western Branch-based Girl Scouts Troop 517, whose members were given the assignment of reviewing the name, religion, service record and other information for each veteran they honored.

John E. Delaney Sr. served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Danielle stood up from laying the wreath at his headstone, and said, “I think it’s really amazing that he lived through all three. It’s unique to live through three wars.”

Not far away, Suffolk’s Bob Harris, a Vietnam veteran who served two tours there, looked around for the headstone of an old friend.

“He was a real good friend of mine,” Harris said, studying the names up and down the rows.