Looking for a way to honor the veterans in your life this Veterans Day?
America will celebrate its veterans on Nov. 11 with numerous parades and events nationwide.
The 71st National Veterans Day Observance will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia beginning at 11:11 a.m. A wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier begins the event, followed by a parade of colors by veterans organizations and speeches inside the Memorial Amphitheater. Seating inside the amphitheater is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The World War II Memorial in Washington, DC will host its Veterans Day observance beginning at 9 a.m. on Nov. 11. The event pays tribute to the men and women who served in the American Armed Forces during World War II and includes a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of those who died during the conflict.
The United States Navy Memorial will host a wreath-laying ceremony at 12:30. The memorial can be found at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC.
The annual Veterans Day at The Wall observance will be held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. The ceremony also honors the 40th anniversary of The Wall’s Three Servicemen statue and the 20th anniversary of the In Memory plaque.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial at 10 Daniel French Dr. SW in Washington, DC will host a brief ceremony and wreath presentation on Nov. 11 beginning at 3 p.m.
In Massachusetts, the Boston Veterans Parade will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Nov. 9. The parade will step off at the Boston Public Library on Boylston Street and concludes at 1 City Hall Plaza.
New York City is the site of the nation’s biggest Veterans Day event. Hosted by the United War Veterans Council, the New York City Veterans Day Parade steps off for its 105th year on Nov. 11. An estimated 20,000 participants will march down Fifth Avenue between 26th and 48th Streets beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Retired Sgt. Dakota Meyer, the first Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient for Operation Enduring Freedom, is this year’s grand marshal.
The 10th annual Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival is scheduled for Nov. 10 beginning at noon in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Retired Army Lt. Col. Albert El is the grand marshal. El was a member of the 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper in Special Operations from 1959 to 1964.
Lincoln Center in New York City is the site of Stand Up for Heroes. The Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival partner for the event, which begins at 8 p.m. on Nov. 11. Among this year’s performers are Jim Gaffigan, Norah Hones, Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.