Although Veterans Day is Monday, Nov. 11, a number of events connected with the holiday have been scheduled to begin this week.
Those events include:
• "World War I County Service Banners" will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Capitol's Missouri State Museum, which has 100 of these banners. They were developed after the war's end on Nov. 11, 1918, to commemorate servicemen and women.
• The annual Operation Bugle Boy dinner and program for local veterans will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the St. Martin's Knights of Columbus Hall. Keynote speaker will be David Beamer, whose son Todd was among passengers on United Flight 93 on 9/11, and is known for his last words, "Let's roll."
• Cole County R-5 Schools will hold a Veterans Day Assembly at 9:30 a.m. Friday. A breakfast for veterans will be served at 8:30 a.m.
• The movie, "Honor Flight - One Last Mission," will be shown at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Blair Oaks High School gym, Wardsville. The documentary follows four World War II veterans and a Midwest community in creating a trip of a lifetime to see the Washington, D.C., memorial built in 2004 in their honor. Non-veterans are asked to donate $5 admission to benefit the Central Missouri Honor Flight.
• Lincoln University ROTC will display 745 miniature flags on campus around Veterans Day, to represent the number of commissioned officers who have matriculated through the program.
• A free breakfast for veterans will be hosted 6:30-9:30 a.m. Nov. 11, in the Pemberton Room at Jefferson City High School. For reservations, call 573-659-3050.
• The traditional Veterans Day Mass will be celebrated at 8 a.m. Nov. 11, at St. Peter Catholic Church. The school will host a gathering for veterans afterward. The students also are selling T-shirts as a fundraiser for a special wheelchair for veterans in the Mexico Veterans Home.
• A complimentary rose will be given - one to a person, while supplies last - from 9 a.m.-noon Nov. 11 at Riverview Cemetery, as a means to thank veterans. Call 573-636-6713 for more information or visit www.riverviewjc.com.
• Cole County R-1 Schools will hold a Veterans Day Assembly at 9 a.m. Nov. 11. And breakfast for veterans will be served at 8 a.m.
• The Jefferson City Veterans Council's traditional Veterans Day ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 in the Capitol Rotunda.
• The Veterans Tribute at Freedom Corner will be unveiled at 2 p.m. Nov. 11, at the intersection of East High and East McCarty streets. The Jefferson City East Side Business Association event will include the American Legion Riders, Lincoln University ROTC, students from local public and parochial schools, dignitary comments and the unveiling by local veteran Tyler Huffman.
In addition to the events this week and next, two other items may be of interest to area veterans:
• As a fundraiser for the Central Missouri Honor Flight and the Jefferson City Veterans Council, the 10th anniversary edition of the Operation Merry Christmas CD, "Support our Troops - Honor our Veterans," is available for $10 at Gerbes West and Super Gerbes, Hy-Vee, Schnucks, Schulte's Fresh Foods, Carrie's Hallmark, Downtown Book and Toy, Samuel's Tuxedos and Gifts, Central Bank and Home Savings Bank.
• The Wreaths for Heroes group will place holiday wreaths at the grave of each service member in the Jefferson City National Cemetery, beginning at 9 a.m. Dec. 14. A program with guest speaker Warren Krech will begin at 9:30 a.m.