Veterans Day Calendar

On Nov. 7 the First Academy students Wounded Warrior Club is proud to honor “Our Heroes” of the United States Armed Forces, including a special recognition of our Korean War Veterans, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Orlando’s Faith Hall, located at 3000 S. John Young Parkway. Special seating is available for guests with special needs. For more information, please call 407-206-8643.

The American’s Creed - Inseparable, Unbreakable, Indivisible! is Nov. 7 at Lake Highland Prep School with an annual tribute of music, dancing, drama and video footage to honor veterans. Shows are at 8:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., and 1 p.m. in the Harriett Coleman Center for the Arts on campus, 901 N. Highland Ave., Orlando, 32803. All LHP friends and family are welcome to attend. Call 407-206-1900, ext. 5762.

At 7 p.m. Nov. 8 the Orlando Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra presents a musical tribute to veterans with a swingin’ concert of instrumental and vocal sounds of big band and swing-era favorites like Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Count Basie. The show is at Cornerstone Auditorium, 801 Fairlane Ave., Belle Isle. This is also the grand-opening celebration of the Cornerstone auditorium, now a premier Central Florida concert hall and the area’s best local venue for the performing arts. General admission tickets are $17. Veterans who RSVP to 407- 851-7730 are eligible for a free ticket with valid military identification. Doors open at 6 p.m. and refreshments will be available for sale. The city of Belle Isle and sponsors like the Regal Family Center, a charitable arm of Regal Marine Industries, make this salute to veterans possible.

The city of Winter Park’s third annual Veterans Day Celebration is at 10 a.m. Nov. 8. This free event will be held in honor of all of the veterans of Winter Park, at the Winter Park Community Center Ruby Ball Amphitheatre located at 721 W. New England Ave. VFW Post 2093 Community Band is playing musical tributes with anecdotal speakers, and Winter Park Fire-Rescue is collecting candy and letters of encouragement thru Operation Gratitude to send to deployed troops. For more information, call 407-599-3428.

Orlando Vet Center Open House 2013 is Nov. 8. In honor of Veterans Day, the Vet Center will be celebrating all veterans with an open house and a special presentation by Quilts of Valor at 1 p.m. It runs from noon to 4 p.m. at 5575 S. Semoran Blvd., Suite 30, Orlando. Call 407-857-2800 for more information.

The Boomer Bash and Senior Expo is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the King Center. Veterans will be honored and there will be a special veterans motorcycle rider entry. Vet riders can gather at 8 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Center or the American Legion Post No. 81. The ride will be at 8:30 a.m. with special VIP parking. The ceremony is from 9 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. There will be a free expo with military exhibits, entertainment and speakers, including a live musical tribute to veterans that will showcase the Moving Wall, honoring the lives of service men and women who gave their all protecting our great nation. King Center is located at 3865 N. Wickham Road in Melbourne.

Seats for Soldiers Night is Nov. 8. The Orlando Magic will be celebrating the many contributions our troops have made to this country. They have a limited number of donated tickets that will be distributed. Contact Ms. Leak, assistant director of community relations, at 407-916-2454 for more information.

The Warbird Museum’s annual Veterans Open House is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 9-11. Free entry is available for all active and retired military, and all Florida residents. Please bring a non-perishable food item. Combat pilots will be on hand, plus antique cars and model train displays. Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum is at 6600 Tico Road, Titusville. Call 321-268-1941 or visit vacwarbirds.org for more information.

The Amvets 5K Run/Walk is Nov. 9. Amvet Post No. 30 sponsors this event – the group’s first 5K Run/Walk at Hankins Park and through surrounding streets. The park is south of Columbia Street, and west of John Young Parkway. Call 407-294-0838 or 407-290-2055 for further information.

The city of Orlando Veterans Day Parade is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 9 in downtown Orlando. The parade with more than 100 units begins at the corner of Orange Avenue and Robinson Street, down to Central Boulevard, north on Rosalind Avenue, and past Lake Eola. Twelve Red Tail pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII will be grand marshals.

The Timber Creek Air Force JROTC Veterans Day Program is at 10 a.m. Nov. 9 in the Timber Creek High School auditorium, 1001 S. Avalon Park Blvd., Orlando. The Honor Guard will be conducting their annual ceremony, including the guarding of a replica Tomb of the Unknown and the cadets will be changing the guards at the completion of various other presentations. The event features a POW/MIA Missing Man Table Ceremony, the Battle Cross Presentation, honoring of wounded, and a guest speaker. It’s free and open to the public. For more information contact SMSgt. Dowdy at [email protected] or 321-235-7800, ext. 6142622.

The town of Celebration hosts a Veterans Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony starting at 9 a.m. Nov. 9 at Front Street in downtown Celebration. A ceremony is at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial. For more information contact Dulcy at 407-566-1200, ext. 202, or [email protected] or visit celebration.fl.us

The University of Central Florida is offering a free game ticket to active duty/reservists and retirees for the UCF vs. Houston football game. Eligible members can purchase their free ticket by visiting the website: tinyurl.com/UCFvets. Additional tickets can be purchased at the same time for prices starting at $15.

The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is Nov. 9. This annual event sponsored by the Central Florida Marine Corps Foundation will feature John L. Estrada, 15th Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps (2003-2007), retired after 34 years of service. Sgt. Maj. Estrada serves as a committee member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, a member of the national Board of Directors for Operation Homefront, and on the executive committee for the United Services Organization. It’s at the Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Drive, Orlando. For more information contact Jan Baka at [email protected] or 407-745- 3029 or 407-758-0968. Semper Fi!

The Vision of Flight Scholarship and Acknowledgement Gala is Nov. 9. Meet the Red Tail Pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen, recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in WWII. It features live music, dinner, a silent auction and more. It’s at the Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Drive, Orlando. The cost is $125 per person. Contact 407-719-0912 for more information.

VFW Post 10139 of Chuluota and Oviedo will celebrate starting at 4 p.m. Nov. 9 with fireworks at 7 p.m. It’s open to public. Live country music by Bryan K. Buchanan. There will be a special memorial dedication for Army Spc. Brendan Salazar at 5 p.m. Located at the corner of Lake Mills Avenue and East Seventh Street in Chuluota. Contact 407-359-5020 or [email protected] for more information.

The Mount Dora Patriot Cruise and Salute is Nov. 10. Sixteen wounded, ill or injured veterans and their families will be taken on a scenic boat ride. At 1 p.m. after their return, a patriotic ceremony and picnic will be held. It’s in Gilbert Park, 310 S. Tremain St., Mount Dora. For more information visit mountdorapcs.org or contact [email protected] or 305-772-5246.

Maitland Salutes Veterans at 4 p.m. Nov. 10. It’s a free patriotic program with live band performance followed by BBQ, cake and ice cream. Hosted by Maitland community organizations at the Maitland Civic Center, 641 S. Maitland Ave. An RSVP is requested for food planning by Nov. 7 at 407-677-2111 or online at maitlandciviccenter.com

The fourth annual Military Appreciation Luncheon is at noon Nov. 10 at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park. We’ll be honoring veterans, guardsmen, reservists and active duty military men and women. Past attendees know that we like to incorporate photographs of military men and women into a slide show, so please send yours to Andy with the Military Outreach Ministry at [email protected] or RSVP to 407-595-6190. It’s at 125 N. Interlachen Ave. in Winter Park.

A Red Tail Pilots of Tuskegee Airmen Monument Dedication will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 11. It will be the first monument in the country honoring them, with an expected dozen of the original pilots on hand. It’s all at the Orlando Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St. in Orlando. There’s free parking in the Science Center garage. Sponsors include Vision of Flight and the city of Orlando. Visit osc.org or call 407-719-0912 for more information.

The Central Florida Veterans Memorial Dedication will be at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 11 adjacent to the Lake Nona VA Hospital site. The Memorial honors approximately 1,100 veterans from Orange, Lake, Brevard, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties who made the ultimate sacrifice. A major fund-raising effort has allowed their names to be engraved in granite. Registration for attendance is required – send email to [email protected]

The city of Ocoee Veterans Day Ceremony is at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Bill Breeze Park, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive in Ocoee. It will feature patriotic songs, musical tributes by the Ocoee Middle School Jazz Ensemble, and flag presentations by Ocoee High School JROTC Color Guard and Ocoee Police Department Honor Guard. The keynote speaker is Capt. Bruce Garrott, USN (ret.), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate, naval service in anti-submarine helicopters, with significant service in Djibouti and the Horn of Africa. For more information on Ocoee’s Veterans Day Ceremony call 407-905-3100.

A Veterans Day Parade will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 11 through downtown Kissimmee starting and ending at Beaumont Field. This parade honors all former members of the Armed Services and is followed by an awards ceremony. The Osceola County Veterans Council sponsors the parade. For more information, call 407-518-2561 or email [email protected]

The annual Veterans Day celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Veterans Memorial Park, 400 North Park Ave. in Sanford. We will be celebrating our nation’s past and honoring our veterans. For more information call 407-688-5120 or email [email protected]

The Marine Corp Toys for Tots Golf Tournament is Nov. 11. Reserve your place ASAP at 407-322-2531. Registration is at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. featuring a four-man scramble format; make your own or allow us. Cost is $25 per person plus $10 lunch, and each player must bring a toy (suggested $10 price), a gift card, or a cash donation when you or your team registers to play. Our buffet luncheon will have a Veterans Day cake, honoring all branches of our Armed Forces, including the Marine Corps Anniversary of Nov. 10. It’s at Mayfair Country Club, 3536 Country Club Road in Sanford.

A Veterans Concert Hosted by the Lake Brantley High School Concert Bands is at 7 p.m. Nov. 11. It’s at the Berry - Douce Auditorium, 991 Sand Lake Road, Altamonte Springs.

EXTRAS of Interest:

• American Warrior Radio Show – from 11a.m. - noon EDT on Saturdays, radio station WMEL - AM 1300 Nationwide broadcast: 1300wmel.com

• WoundedTimes.blogspot.com - Veterans News Service covering news that matters to veterans and their families. Local, state and national news and events –with videos especially involving Central Florida military and veterans. Dedicated to defeating Combat PTS.

• Shades of Green Resort – Armed Forces Recreation Center on Disney property provides various packages for active duty, reservists, guardsmen, 100 percent service connected disabled, and retired military personnel and their families. Go to shadesofgreen.org for information. Special discounts for rooms may be available based on occupancy levels, and special ticket rates. Call 407- 824-3400.

• Vet Centers are available for combat zone veterans to help with personal and family readjustment counseling and outreach services. The nearest centers are located in Orlando, Melbourne, Clermont, and Daytona Beach. Visit vetcenter.va.gov

• The Navy Exchange (NEX) still exists in Orlando for all branches of active duty military, reservists, guardsmen, retirees, 100 percent service-connected disabled veterans and their dependents. It is located west of Orlando International Airport, about 1 mile south of the Beachline Expressway/528 on Tradeport Dr. Competitive pricing and programs. Address is 7151 Earhart Drive, Orlando, 32827. Contact mynavyexchange.com or 407-857-3550.

• Military OneSource is a free service provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to active duty, Guard and Reserve service members, and their families with comprehensive information on every aspect of military life including deployment, relationships, economics, grief, education, parenting and child care, and much more. Visit militaryonesource.mil