Perseverance was the order of the day when local veterans and their supporters gathered in Graham on Monday for Alamance County’s annual Memorial Day ceremony.
For the fourth year in a row, the threat of rain prevented the event from taking place in front of the county’s war memorial, which dominates the front lawn of lawn of the Judge J.B. Allen, Jr. Court House. The ceremony was further dampened by a scheduling conflict that kept the Western High marching band from fulling its usual role as the musical accompaniment for the event.
With the aid of recorded music, the commemoration went ahead inside the court building, where regular attendees may have noticed a few other departures from business as usual.
Among things, there were two empty chairs reserved for Diane Sellars and Sue Herring – two recently departed members of the war memorial committee that sponsors the annual event. Also absent was the color guard from the local sheriff’s office, whose duties were taken over by a group of veteran Marines.
The sheriff was nevertheless on hand for the event, along with other local elected leaders, who included at least two state legislators and three county commissioners. Also present was Jeff McNeill, the new head of Alamance County’s veterans office, along with scores of veterans, who came in the company of family, friends, and other well wishers.
As per usual, Monday’s event included the presentation of wreaths from local veterans’ organizations. It also featured a recitation of the names of the 263 former service members who had passed away over the past year, and the performance of “Taps” to round out the ceremony.
[Photos from the event follow.]
Other local veterans and veterans organizations shown below.
