The Eldred Township Veterans Commission held its Memorial Day program outside in the sunshine Monday morning.

A group of residents joined the commission at the veterans memorial in front of the municipal building in Kunkletown to honor the lives of soldiers who paid the ultimate price.

At the beginning of the service, Commission President Kevin Silliman raised the American flag, and Diane Hubert, secretary of the commission, placed a red, white and blue wreath in front of the veterans memorial.

Diane Bittenbender, treasurer of the commission, followed with a prayer, and the song “Some Gave All” by Billy Ray Cyrus played.

Commission member Shirley Krum addressed those gathered and talked about the meaning and history of Memorial Day. She said the original reason for Memorial Day goes back to the Civil War, when about half of the 1.1 million soldiers who fought in the war between the states died.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women also have given their lives in war.

“The pain and loss is still lingering for military families,” Krum said.

Nearly 7,000 service members lost their lives during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Krum said.

“More than 52,000 were wounded in these conflicts and many are still suffering from both physical and mental disabilities, and higher than normal suicide rates,” she said. “We must never forget those who gave their lives serving the rest of us, or forget about those who never came home.”

The program continued with the playing of a recorded version of “America,” and then Hubert recited the poem “In Flanders Field.” Bittenbender gave the closing benediction, and taps was played.