Veterans Day Ceremonies and Events

Today we honor all who have served. Veterans Day ceremonies are going on across Western Washington and the nation.

• The VA National Cemetery in Washington State, Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, will be holding their ceremony today at 11 a.m. The cemetery is located at 18600 Southeast 240th Street. Rep. Dave Reichert and Navy Rear Admiral Bette Bolivar are scheduled to speak.
• The 64th Annual Veterans Day Memorial Celebration at Evergreen Washelli Cemetery will also begin at 11 a.m. at the Doughboy statue in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery. The cemetery is located at 11111 Aurora Ave. North, in Seattle.
• Other Veterans Day events include:
• Inaugural Seattle National Veterans Day Run at Magnuson Park at 7 a.m.
• Puyallup Veterans Day Program at the pavilion in Pioneer Park from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
• In Ferndale, a short program honoring veterans will begin at the Ferndale American Legion Hall, 5537 Second Ave, at 11 a.m.
• 10th annual Deming Veterans Day Commemoration by Wendall H. Fidele American Legion Post 83 will honor Gordon Kelly, who commanded the post from 1989 to 2007. At the Mount Baker High School Auditorium, 4936 Deming Road, Deming at 11 a.m.
• Bellingham American Legion Ceremony at Bellingham City Hall, 210 Lottie St.  Music begins at 10:30 a.m. with the ceremony at 11 a.m.
• Charter College Ceremony, Bellingham, 1-3 p.m. Charter College, 410 W. Bakerview Road, Suite 112. Charter College and KGMI radio host a Veterans Day celebration that includes local dignitaries and a talk on GI education benefits. Free buffet lunch and an iPad giveaway. All veterans in attendance will receive a thank you gift.
• Bellingham: VFW POST 1585, 1-6 p.m. VFW Hall, 625 N. State St., Bellingham. All veterans are welcome at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post for salad, soup and sandwiches, and meet other veterans.
• Snohomish County Memorial Central Committee's 95th annual Veterans Day ceremony is 11 a.m. today at the eternal flame in the Snohomish Courthouse campus courtyard, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. Participants include the Everett High School Navy Jr. ROTC and representatives from Naval Station Everett. Call 425-258-4201.
• Arlington Veterans Day Parade, 11 a.m. today, Olympic Avenue, sponsored by Arlington American Legion Post 76.
• Veterans Day Ceremony, 11 a.m. today, Veterans Monument in Library Park, 15429 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek.
• Veterans Day Ceremony by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1040 of Lynnwood, 11 a.m. today, Lynnwood Veterans Park, 44th Avenue and 194th Street SW.
• Veterans Day at Edmonds Memorial Cemetery, 11 a.m. today includes a tour of the graves of all veterans buried there, including those who fought in the Civil War, led by local history buffs Betty Deebach Gaeng and Dale Hoggins.  Call 425-776-1543.
• Veterans Day Ceremony in Sultan, 1 p.m. today, Veterans Memorial Wall, First and Main streets. Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robert Reese is the speaker.
• Military veterans are to be honored with an outdoor Wall of Thanks and a Veterans Tribute at Imagine Children's Museum, 1502 Wall St., Everett. The museum, usually closed on Mondays, is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today in honor of Veterans Day. All veterans and their immediate families get free admission for the day.
• The Silvertips hockey club plans to play its first-ever Veterans Day matinee game, 2:05 p.m. today against the Vancouver Giants at Comcast Arena. All military veterans are to be honored.
• Marysville-Pilchuck High School's Tomahawk Company hosts its 19th annual Military Parade from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the school gym. The event, dedicated to military veterans, includes participation by Naval Station Everett.
• Carl Gipson Senior Center of Everett plans to host its eighth annual USO dance from 1 to 5 p.m. today. Veterans of all wars are invited to bring their guests to this free event, which features a 16-piece swing band. Reservations: 425-257-8780, or stop by at 3025 Lombard.
• Veterans Day Dinner, Arlington American Legion Post 76, 4 to 6 p.m. today at 115 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington. Free ham dinner for all veterans from throughout the region. Call 360-435-2492.
• Veterans Day at Hibulb Cultural Center, noon today, 6410 23rd Ave. NE, Tulalip. Free admission for veterans and families. Light lunch, followed by veterans healing forum at 1 p.m.

Here are some of the events scheduled for Monday across the nation:

President Barack Obama planned to attend a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. That ceremony begins at 11 a.m. EST (8 a.m. PST).

Obama said in his Veterans Day proclamation that the country's obligations to those who have served "endure long after the battle ends." He said their courage, self-sacrifice and devotion represent the American character at its best and he encouraged everyone to honor every service member who has ever worn the country's uniforms.

The District of Columbia will honor two of the original Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal for Veterans Day.

Washington Mayor Vincent Gray and congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton will lay a wreath at the African American Civil War Memorial. A commemoration will follow for two Tuskegee Airmen who are D.C. residents at the African American Civil War Museum.

The U.S. military's first female four-star general will be a grand marshal at New York City's Veterans Day Parade.

Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody retired last year after a 37-year Army career.

Organizers of the parade up Fifth Avenue have renamed it America's Parade.

The commemoration will include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Eternal Light Monument in Madison Square Park.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will join a march and speak at the annual Veterans Day ceremony at the War Memorial.

KIRO