Many Bay Area residents celebrated Memorial Day on Monday by honoring veterans with events throughout the region.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris issued a statement Monday, saying the country had an obligation to all veterans for the sacrifices they have made.
"We have a responsibility to keep our promises to our service members once they are home by helping them find a job, obtain a high quality education and receive timely medical care. These brave men and women deserve nothing less than our very best," Harris said.
An annual tradition since 2006 continued in Lafayette, where people gathered to remember fallen troops.
"We've all been tramatized by this war," said Jeffrey Heaton, founder for the Lafayette memorial honoring some 7,000 men and women who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. "This hillside is about cutting through the politics and coming together and recognizing that we all want to heal."
In San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee spoke at the city's official Memorial Day celebration at the National Cemetery located at 1 Lincoln Boulevard.
Following the celebration, Mayor Lee tweeted a message saying that the city is helping veterans find services, housing and jobs.
The speech follows an announcement made by the mayor on Friday, which discussed plans for a 101-unit project that would provide housing for 50 formerly homeless veterans, as well as 50 low-income families.
The project would be located at 1150 Third Street in Mission Bay and construction would begin in late 2016, city officials said.
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"Moving people off our streets and into supportive housing and services is among my highest priorities, especially when it comes to the brave men and women who have served our country and now find themselves without a home," Lee said in a statement on Friday.
Also in San Francisco, the Presidio held its 147th annual ceremony, focusing on the 70th and 40th anniversaries of the end of World War II and the Vietnam War.
The historic Mountain View cemetery in Oakland held its 94th annual Memorial Day celebration. According to a press release, the ceremony was set to feature a 21-gun salute and a dove release.
The city of San Jose held its 97th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Oak Hill Memorial Park, where Mayor Sam Liccardo briefly spoke at the event.
NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd contributed to this report.
