Veterans Day activities in Vicksburg will kick off with a parade along Washington Street on Saturday and culminate with the dedication of the new Purple Heart monument on Wednesday, the actual day set aside to honor all who have served in the military.

If you go

Veterans Day activities in Vicksburg include:

Saturday

• Parade — 10 a.m., along Washington Street.

Tuesday

• Vicksburg Intermediate School — 6 p.m., fifth- and sixth-graders sing for veterans.

Wednesday

• Warren Central High School — 8 a.m., breakfast for veterans.

• Purple Heart Memorial dedication — 11 a.m., Vicksburg Memorial Rose Garde; program featuring Col. David D. Hollands to follow.  

• Vicksburg National Military Park — Free admission all day.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Belmont and Washington streets, ending at Grove and Washington. Vicksburg’s Main Street Program is the sponsor.

Schools will have a role in the observances. Fifth- and sixth-graders at Vicksburg Intermediate will sing for veterans invited to a program of music and multimedia at 6 p.m. Tuesday. A slide show will feature students’ families who are in the military.

Events for Wednesday begin at 8 a.m. with a breakfast for veterans at Warren Central High School, featuring a music program by the school choir and the Big Blue Band and words from Col. Gary E. Johnston, commander of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. All veterans are invited to attend programs at both schools.

Formal dedication of the Purple Heart Memorial at the Vicksburg Memorial Rose Garden is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday — signifying the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The granite marker was erected earlier this year by the Hill City Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and paid for with a mix of public funds and private donations.

Also, the chapter will    present a plaque to Betty Wilson, the widow of Warren County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Wilson, who was killed in a car wreck in May.

Col. David D. Hollands, chief of staff of the 412th Engineer Command, will speak at a memorial service to follow. Hollands holds an accounting degree from Georgetown University and a master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military service awards include the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Hourglass and M Device and two Kuwait Liberation Medal awards from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kuwaiti government.

Jim Bryant of American Legion Post 3 will read the poem “In Flanders Field,” penned during World War I. A gunfire salute will occur during the ceremony, as well as presentation of the colors by Vicksburg High School Junior ROTC members.   

Entrance fees will be waived Wednesday for visitors of Vicksburg National Military Park.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com