Lauren K. Ohnesorge Staff Writer- Triangle Business Journal

One of the first acts by Pat McCrory as North Carolina’s 74th governor was to join others at an event saluting the state’s military veterans on Saturday evening, following his swearing-in at noon that day.

An over-sold crowd gathered to support the Veterans Leadership Council of North Carolina-CARES, a nonprofit founded by veterans for veterans, specifically to respond to reintegration challenges facing new veterans.

The U.S. Veterans Administration’s most recent figures show that in 2009 VA Medical Centers in North Carolina treated 1,118 identified homeless veterans, and in 2012 more than 6,000 homeless veterans sought assistance in North Carolina.