Paris, Texas -- Veterans and their families from North Texas and southern Oklahoma attended a special Memorial Day Celebration May 28, 2012, at Red River Valley Veterans Memorial in Paris, Texas.

A man pays tribute to a veteran named on one of the granite pavers.

Chet Hilyer, vice-chair of Red River Valley Veterans Memorial, welcomed the crowd, pastor Glen Vicker gave the invocation and Delores Clemons, Operations Director at Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham was the featured speaker.

Paris City Police Honor Guard posted the colors and the national anthem was performed by North Lamar High School Band.

Paris City Police Honor Guard

 Red River Valley Veterans Memorial is being built as a tribute to all veterans from Lamar, Fannin, Red River and Delta counties in Texas, as well as Choctaw and Bryan counties in Oklahoma. The centerpiece of the memorial, the Ring of Honor, is a ring of vertical granite walls containing the names of men and women from the six-county Red River Valley area who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. A walkway made of pavers with names of present or past veterans leads to the Ring of Honor.

Chet Hilyer welcomes the crowd.

Delores Clemons and Doug Weiberg place the wreath at the entrance of the Red River Veterans Memorial. Ms. Clemons is Operations Manager at Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham and Mr. Weiberg is chairman of Red River Veterans Memorial.

Delores Clemons addressed the crowd.

A member of the North Lamar High School Band plays "Taps."