Memorial Day services throughout the Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- One of the Valley's first Memorial Day services Monday started before the sun came up.

A bugler began the sunrise ceremony at Woodward Park at 5:41 a.m.

Over a dozen Vietnam War Veterans gathered for a quiet and somber ceremony.

The 80 member Fresno chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America holds its ceremony at the park every Memorial Day, remembering their fallen brothers and sisters from every war involving American troops.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rock was erected 30 years ago as a permanent memorial at Woodward Park.

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Valley cemeteries were filled with flags today as people pay tribute to fallen service members.

In West Fresno, volunteers--many of them military moms--raised more than 1,400 full-sized flags in honor of each fallen soldier laid to rest at the Fresno Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

The 'Avenue Of Flags' tribute began 48 years ago with just 35 flags.

Now it's grown into a tradition involving flags from all over the Valley.

At 5 p.m. the flags will be lowered, stacked and stored by volunteers.

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Hundreds of people gathered at the Nisei War Memorial at Roeding Park to remember and honor Japanese American Veterans who died for our country.

Dozens of families and local Veterans showed up to Roeding Park in Central Fresno for the Memorial Day event.

Earlier this morning, Veterans and their family members placed wreaths at the memorial to mark the event's 60th year.

The memorial was dedicated back in 1951 and has the names of 29 Japanese American soldiers from the Valley who fought and died in World War II, and the Vietnam and Korean Wars.

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In West Central Fresno, more than 250 american flags are on display at Fresno's Armenian Cemetery.

The Ararat Cemetery on Belmont and Hughes is the only one of its kind in the country.

Many Veterans of Armenian descent have been laid to rest there.

Members of a youth group from Holy Trinity Armenian Church helped put out flags at the cemetery over the weekend.

The flags will be on display all day today.

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