A salute to veterans

EVENTS FOR CURRENT, FORMER MILITARY MEMBERS

Today we honor and recognize veterans.

President Barack Obama's Veterans Day proclamation said: "We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. From the Minutemen who stood watch over Lexington and Concord to the service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, American veterans deserve our deepest appreciation and respect. ... Today, we reflect upon the invaluable contributions of our country's veterans and reaffirm our commitment to provide them and their families with the essential support they were promised and have earned."

The following is a list of some of the ways Central Kentuckians are recognizing veterans.

Ceremonies

A variety of ceremonies will be held.

■ 5:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, 4300 Nicholasville Road. Dinner for veterans and the public, followed by community Veterans Day program at 7:15 p.m. Speakers and patriotic music. Dinner $4 a person, $2 for ages 4 and younger. Call (859) 272-3441.

■ 11 a.m. Nov. 11. Camp Nelson National Cemetery will holds its traditional Veterans Day Ceremony. Call (859) 885-5727.

■ 11:11 a.m. Nov. 11. The Thomson-Hood Veterans Center in Wilmore will honor veterans with certificates of gratitude for their bravery.

■ 10:45 a.m. Nov. 11. The Paul E. Patton Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center in Prestonsburg will hold ceremonies.

■ 11 a.m. Nov. 11. The Kentucky veterans Cemetery North in Williamstown will hold a Veterans Day service. Call (859) 823-0720.

Events

The theme of the Kentucky Historical Society's Candlelight Tour events Thursday, Friday and Saturday in downtown Frankfort is Salute Traditions and Treasures. Activities begin at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History at 5 p.m. Thursday. There will be a new exhibit, Kentucky Military Treasures: Selections from the Kentucky Historical Society Collections. The exhibit spans nearly 200 years of conflicts — from the War of 1812 to more recent engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq — and includes the personal stories of Kentuckians who fought and sometimes died in battle.

Children can make holiday cards for military personnel and visit with 12-year-old Taylor Pace, who started a business in 2002 making homemade bears and selling them to benefit military families. Taylor's bears will be on sale. View the Kentucky Military Treasures Tree, featuring ornaments made by schoolchildren and children of military personnel.

Entertainment on Thursday includes performances by the Kentucky National Guard Brass Quartet; the Swing Canaries, a trio of female vocalists who sing the songs of the Andrews Sisters and the Girls of the Golden West; and the Franklin County High School Band. There will be demonstrations by local artisans; the KHS permanent exhibit, tour A Kentucky Journey; the KHS permanent exhibition; a large Lionel holiday train display; and Theatre of War: Unresolved Conflict of Vietnam, a new KHS Museum Theatre piece.

All KHS evening candlelight events, in addition to first-floor tours of the Kentucky Military History Museum, are free. For more information, go to www.history.ky.gov/candlelight.

■ The University of Kentucky Military Veterans of America and Veterans Resource Center will host a weeklong screening of the award-winning documentary, The Way We Get By, in Worsham Theatre on the University of Kentucky campus.

The film tells the story of a group of senior citizens who gather daily at a small airport to thank American soldiers departing and returning from Iraq. There will be a VIP screening at Memorial Hall at 6 p.m. Nov. 12. If you are interested in attending, e-mail questions@ukmva.org or call (859) 257-1148. Other show times at Worsham Theater are: noon Wednesday, 2 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday.

The film also will air on KET at 9 p.m. Wednesday and will be repeated through the week.

Send a card, package

Residents can send holiday cards and messages of cheer to service members through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. The drive runs through Dec. 7. For more information, go to www.redcross.org.