RALEIGH – General Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has announced that the Veterans Day National Committee has selected four North Carolina locations as Regional Sites for the Observance of Veterans Day 2010, which will occur on Nov. 11.



The North Carolina sites include Charlotte, Fayetteville, Morehead City and Fayetteville.



“This marks the first time that North Carolina has been designated,” said Charlie Smith, Assistant Secretary for the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs. “This is a wonderful honor that brings attention to the tremendous impact of veterans and military in the state of North Carolina.”



Smith said nearly 800,000 veterans currently reside in North Carolina, which also counts about 120,000 active members of the military and 25,000 guard and reserve forces. Combined with the many military bases located here, the total impact on the state’s economy is about $25 billion annually.



Smith said the federal military officials will assist local organizers in the planning of activities, which are expected to feature a stepped-up military presence. He added that each recognized location has an established history of pulling out all the stops to celebrate Veterans Day.



While Fayetteville’s selection may seem obvious as the home of Fort Bragg and its large military community, Smith said Morehead City got the nod because its tradition of presenting the largest annual Veterans Day parade in North Carolina. With 150 or more entries each year, it draws support from the nearby Marine Corps facilities at Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point and New River, and the Coast Guard station at Fort Macon.



There are no military installations at Charlotte or Warsaw, but both historically dedicate considerable resources to presenting Veterans Day celebrations. While Charlotte’s is considered to be the state’s largest, Warsaw boasts the oldest continuously celebrated Veterans Day parade in the United States, which started in 1920.