I'll be going to the Vet's Day ceremony here in Charlottesville, held on the lawn of the County Admin building downtown. It's a really great ceremony with some quite distinguished speakers. Last year, the Commandant from the local JAG school spoke.
Also, re-enactors will perform ceremonical duties, escorts, etc. They represent revolutionary, civil war, and usually WW I and WWII soldiers. Volleys are fired with period firearms. Our local High School band plays patriotic songs, always with lively and stirring Sousa tunes. There's nothing like Sousa to get a crowd fired up!
Wreaths are laid at a memorial monument in front of the building by combat vets from the local VFW Post. It's a very somber and sobering ceremony to see the old vets carry their wreath to the monument, and it never fails to elicit a tear or two from members of the audience. I must admit that it stirs my emotions almost every time I see it.
I'll attend with a couple of vets here from work. Both are decorated combat vets and it's an honor to attend with them.
I hope everyone has an opportunity to attend a local, regional or national Veteran's Day ceremony. If you've never done it, you're really missing something grand.
Try to attend.
