Vets Day events are numerous

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November 10, 2009

By Paul Fattig

Mail Tribune

Anyone who plans to take in all the local Veterans Day events had better be prepared to start early and move fast.

Nearly two dozen events from Ashland to Cave Junction are scheduled this year, from special breakfasts and stirring speeches to patriotic parades and free concerts.

In fact, the first event begins at 7 tonight at the Scenic Middle School auditorium with a candlelight Veterans Day concert by band students. The school is at 1955 Scenic Ave., Central Point.

In Medford, the annual Veterans Day parade begins at precisely 11 a.m. on Wednesday, rain or shine, said organizer Tim Garr.

The parade, which he describes as "short on length but long on pride," follows Main Street from Hawthorne Park to Oakdale Avenue.

"It's just a small parade, probably take no more than 20 minutes for it to go past," he said, adding, "Maybe a little less if it's raining."

The point, stressed the Air Force veteran who participated in Desert Storm, is to spend a few minutes honoring those who served their nation in uniform.

"The first year I worked on it in 2006, there were more people working on the parade than there were watching it," he said, although noting that ratio has been changing. "But we'd always like to see more spectators. Anywhere along Main Street is a good place to watch it."

Advance registration is required for parade participants. To register an entry in Medford's Veterans Day parade, go to www.MedfordVeterans.org. Participants will begin forming at 9:30 a.m. at Hawthorne Park.

The annual observance, first known as "Armistice Day," began in 1919 with the recognition of the end of World War I, known as the "war to end all wars." President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day as Armistice Day, a tradition that continued until 1954 when the date was set aside as Veterans Day.

Uncle Sam is joining in the Veterans Day observances by waiving recreation fees for veterans as well as members of the U.S. armed forces and their families at federal recreation sites on Wednesday. The waiver applies to public recreation lands managed by the Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

Here are some events:

Ashland

• 7 a.m. — Breakfast at American Legion Post at Pioneer Hall, 73 Winburn Way, Ashland.
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — A reception for veterans at the Commuter Resource Center in the Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. The event will include refreshments and networking with veterans and is sponsored by the center and SOU's Veterans Resource Office.
• 1 to 3 p.m. — A program on "How the Allies Won World War II" in Room D of the Campbell Center, 655 Frances Lane.
• 4 p.m. — "Service, Honor, Respect," a free slide show on veterans by photographer and SOU student Richard W. Balzer, in the Meese Meeting Room (305) of SOU's Hannon Library.

Cave Junction

9 a.m. — Ceremony at City Hall on Lester Street by American Legion Post 70.

Central Point

9 to 10 a.m.(note: this time has been corrected) — Ceremony at the Oregon Fallen War Heroes Memorial at the new Don Jones Park on Hamrick Road, Central Point. Speakers include retired Marine Corps Col. David Dotterrer and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Tom Humphrey. The national anthem will be sung by Kristy Lee Cook of "American Idol" fame, with patriotic music provided by the Crater High School band.

Eagle Point

11 a.m. — Plaque dedication at Eagle Point Veterans Memorial Park at the Eagle Point Covered Bridge, featuring several speakers and the Eagle Point High School Band.

Medford

• 7:45 a.m. — Free breakfast for veterans and their families at the Royal Oak Retirement Residence, 2180 Poplar Drive, Medford. Speaker will be veteran senior consultant Bill Shockey. RSVP at 779-0790.
• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Old KC97 aircraft at Medford airport open to the public.
• 11 a.m. — Parade from Hawthorne Park along Main Street to Oakdale Avenue.
• Noon — Unveiling of employee veterans' board in the Rogue Cafe at Rogue Valley Medical Center. All employees who are veterans are invited to post on the board, which will be next to the existing display of RVMC employees or family members currently serving in the military. Refreshments will be served.
• 2 p.m. — Ceremony at Medford Veterans Memorial Park, corner of Highway 99 and Stewart Avenue, featuring retired Marine Corps Col. David Dotterrer as keynote speaker.
• 4 and 6 p.m. — Young Marines of Southern Oregon's annual Veterans Day dinner at Scottish Rite Center, 955 N. Phoenix Road, Medford. Reservations must be made by calling 890-7622.
• 6:30 p.m. — A free Veterans Day concert with the Southern Oregon Concert Band and the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers at the Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Highway, Medford.

Rogue River

Noon to 5 p.m. — Open house at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 410 E. Main St., with hot dogs and refreshments, including a toast to veterans.

Selma

10 a.m. — Dedication of veterans memorial by American Legion Post 70 Auxiliary at Deer Creek Cemetery on Lakeshore Drive.

White City

10 a.m. — Annual ceremony in the theater building of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics, 8495 Crater Lake Highway. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, will introduce keynote speaker Linda K. Sindt, a retired Air Force colonel and Vietnam War-era veteran. A memorial tribute to Oregonians who have died in Afghanistan or Iraq will be included, along with a patriotic performance by the Rogue Valley Symphonic Band.

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