CHARLOTTESVILLE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — American Legion Post 74, the local chapter of the nation’s largest veteran’s organization, commemorated Veterans Day with its annual ceremony at the Albemarle County Office Building on Tuesday.

Captain Patrick Kelly, Navy veteran and Post 74’s judge advocate, told Cville Right Now afterward that the Legion, which was chartered by Congress in 1919, was founded “specifically for patriotic observances” and called Veterans Day the organization’s major event.

“This is our piece de resistance, so to say,” he said. “This is what we do, and we’re happy to do it for the community.”

It’s not all the Legion does, as Post 74 commander Mary Garrison took time during her words of welcome as well as when speaking with Cville Right Now afterward to highlight the Post’s other programs, particularly those geared toward children and families.

“Our mission at Post 74 is veterans assisting veterans and their families, especially the children,” she said.

Still, Garrison took time to highlight the importance of Tuesday’s event.

“It’s so important to not only honor the current military,” she said, “but those that have served before us and gone to what we call ‘post-everlasting.’ We’ll never forget them and all their sacrifices.”

The ceremony was attended by veterans who served as far back as the Korean War, as well as a number of local politicians and public officials from both the local and state level, including Del. Amy Laufer, who was the event’s guest speaker, Del. Katrina Callsen and Sen. Creigh Deeds, as well as officials from the Charlottesville City Council and Albemarle Board of Supervisors, among others. In her remarks, Laufer thanked getting know some of the veterans in attendances of the years was an “immense honor.”

“You have sacrificed time, comfort and sometimes even life itself in service something far greater than any one of us,” she said.

Afterward, Garrison sounded pleased with the turnout from local officials.

“That’s one thing I’ve noticed about Charlottesville and Albermarle County is they’re very supportive of the United State military,” she said. “Anything we need we always get that support.”

The ceremony culminated in a memorial reef commemoration, in which representatives from the organizations who had brought a commemorative reef were recognized, with some choosing to approach their reef and even salute to commentate the veterans the reef represented. Organizations that participated included local chapters of the Disabled American Veterans, Sons and Daughter of the American Revolution and the Marine Corp League as well as the Company A of the 116th Infantry of the Virginia Army National Guard and the City of Charlottesville, among others.

Kelly said afterward that despite the armed services from the NGIC, UVA’s ROTC and JAG School not being able to attend due to the Federal Government shutdown, he was pleased with the turnout. Garrison agreed.

“It came together very nicely,” she said “and I’m so happy to see it was well-attended.”