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Washington, D.C., Veterans Day Ceremonies
•    World War II Memorial: Wreath-laying ceremony, 8 a.m., World War II Memorial, 17th Street between Constitution and Independence avenues, Washington, D.C.

•    Vietnam Women’s Memorial: Storytelling, every 30 minutes, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Drive N.W., Washington, D.C.

•    First Division Memorial: Wreath-laying ceremony, 10:30 a.m., grassy panel at 17th Street, south of E Street N.W., Washington, D.C.

•   Arlington (Va.) National Cemetery: Wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 11 a.m.

•    Navy Memorial: Wreath-laying ceremony, 1 p.m., U.S. Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W, Washington, D.C.

•    Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Wreath-laying ceremony and music, 1 p.m., corner of Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Drive NW, Washington, D.C.

•    National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism: Wreath-laying ceremony, 2 p.m., Louisiana and New Jersey Ave and D Street N.W., Washington, D.C.

•    Women in Military Service for America Memorial: Formal military honors, a keynote address, veterans’ remarks, and a wreath-laying ceremony, 3:30 p.m., the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery.

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New York City Veterans Day Celebration
New York City will honor veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 11 with its “Legacy of Honor” Veterans Day parade and events. More than 20,000 people are expected to participate in the parade, including veterans of all eras, active duty servicemembers, ROTC and Junior ROTC units, civic and youth groups, and high school marching bands from across the nation. Floats and military and vintage vehicles will also be in the parade. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. on Fifth Avenue from 26th Street to 56th Street.

The schedule of events includes:
•    Opening Ceremony, 10 a.m.-11 a.m., Eternal Light Monument, Madison Square Park, Fifth Avenue at 24th Street

•    Veterans Day Parade, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Fifth Avenue from 26th Street to 56th Street

•    Crosstown March, from Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, 42nd Street from 12th Avenue to Fifth Avenue

•    Veterans Day Street Fair, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 56th Street between Madison and Sixth avenues

For more information about the parade and other events, visit http://unitedwarveterans.org/parade2008/index.php.

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Legion of Honor Veterans Day Celebration
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will hold a Veterans Day celebration at the Legion of Honor on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The program events include:

•    Screening of The Berlin Airlift (1998, 60 min.), 2 p.m. in the Florence Gould Theater: The film features reenactments and the personal stories of those who lived through the airlift. A question-and-answer session with Director Robert E. Frye will follow the screening.

•    Organ concert, 4–5 p.m.: Robert Gurney performs patriotic music on the Skinner organ.

This Veterans Day also marks the 84th anniversary of the founding of the Legion of Honor by Adolph and Alma Spreckels. Museum admission is free Nov. 11 for all veterans and active duty servicemembers with military ID.  Seating for the film is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets will be available at the admission desk on Nov. 11. For more information, call (415) 750-3600, or visit www.legionofhonor.org.

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Colonial Williamsburg Veterans Day Programs
On Veterans Day, Colonial Williamsburg, Va., will hold a military parade honoring America’s veterans at 4:30 p.m. beginning at the Capitol and continuing down the Duke of Gloucester Street. All veterans of service in America’s armed forces are invited to participate in the parade. Groups will begin forming at 4:15 p.m.

A ceremony will follow the parade at the courthouse on Market Square. Colonial Williamsburg’s militia and cannon crew will fire volleys in honor of those who have served in America’s forces. Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and Drums will perform tunes as a salute to the veterans. Speakers will add their tribute to the day’s ceremony.

As part of the tribute, Colonial Williamsburg offers special complimentary admission passes to active duty military, reservists, retirees, veterans and their families Nov. 7-11, 2008. The Honoring Service to America pass includes admission to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and museums, including the Capitol, Governor’s Palace and Bassett Hall, the Williamsburg home of Foundation benefactor John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. The pass also includes an orientation walk, a walking tour that provides an overview of Colonial Williamsburg and its restoration, free shuttle bus service to and from the Visitor Center, a viewing of the movie, Williamsburg, The Story of a Patriot, and free parking at the Visitor Center.

The servicemember need not be present, and free passes will be provided to immediate family members of currently deployed troops, with appropriate identification. Military veterans who separated before retirement can bring a copy of their honorable discharge paperwork, DD Form 214, as identification of service. These tickets are available only at Colonial Williamsburg on-site ticket sales windows.

In addition to providing complimentary admission tickets to these honored guests, Colonial Williamsburg offers special rates to servicemembers and their families at any of its five on-site hotels, the closest lodging to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, museums, dining, shopping, golf, children’s activities, and more.

Williamsburg is located in Virginia’s Tidewater region, 20 minutes from Newport News, within an hour’s drive of Richmond and Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington, D.C., off Interstate 64.

For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, call (800)-HISTORY (447-8679), or visit Colonial Williamsburg’s Web site at www.history.org.

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Veterans Day Parades

To find a Veterans Day parade in your area, visit www.vetfriends.com/parades/index.cfm.
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2008 Veterans Day Teacher Resource Guide
The 2008 Veterans Day teacher resource guide is now online.  Parents and educators can download the guide as a PDF file from the Veterans Day Web site at www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/schoolkit.asp. The guide includes suggested activities for Veterans Day, such as school assemblies, musical performances, or flag-raising ceremonies; information on how to contact veterans service organizations and staff at VA medical centers, benefits offices, and national cemeteries; information for older students about the origins of Veterans Day, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, statistics on America’s wars, and scholarships; and handouts for younger students such as a Veterans Day maze and coloring pages.

The guide, along with a Veterans Day poster, is being distributed on CD-ROM to principals at 118,000 schools nationwide.

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