The veterans and members of the community gathered at the American Legion Post 6 in Chapel Hill on Monday to commemorate local soldiers who gave their lives in service of their country.

The Memorial Day ceremonies in Chapel Hill began on Saturday, as members of the American Legion, the VFW, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts placed flags on the graves of veterans at the Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery.

Robert Medred, opened a ceremony at the American Legion building on Monday, reminding everyone the reason behind the holiday.

“Today, we remember and honor those active duty military who died in the service of their country during all American wars and conflicts or while on active duty,” said Medred.

The event also featured music, food and showcased artifacts from military history, including papers from the Pearl Harbor attacks and military equipment.

The American Legion is an organization that works to help unite veterans and support military members leaving the service.

Wreath honoring veterans (Photo by Chris Grunert)

Wreath honoring veterans (Photo by Chris Grunert)

There are 790,000 vets in North Carolina, according to Carolina Demography, which represents about 9.8 percent of the state’s adult population.

Pearl Maynor read the poem, “In Flander’s Field “, a popular military poem in honor of her son. She said even after her son’s passing she still help support the American Legion.

“My faith in God hasn’t weakened one minute, because I know there are many, many more boys and girls out there, fighting for us, for our lives and for our safety,” said Maynor.

Memorial Day began as a dedication day after the Civil War, where graves of soldiers would be honored. The first official Memorial Day was observed in 1971.

The event concluded with a two bell ceremony, a navy tradition, to honor local soldiers who passed away.

Veterans are especially important to our state; North Carolina has the fourth largest military population in the country.

Military vehicles on display (Photo by Chris Grunert)

Military vehicles on display (Photo by Chris Grunert)

The American Legion property is for sale, which has been the focus of recent debate. An offer from Woodfield has been made for the $10 million property. Town residents have voiced concern about development on the property but the town passed on an opportunity to purchase the property.

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