PHILADELPHIA – Across the nation Americans will honor the sacrifices and service of armed forces veterans with parades, wreath-laying ceremonies, monument dedications and other events. Here are some of the activities scheduled for Monday:
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President Barack Obama planned to attend a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Obama said in his Veterans Day proclamation that the country's obligations to those who have served "endure long after the battle ends." He said their courage, self-sacrifice and devotion represent the American character at its best and he encouraged everyone to honor every service member who has ever worn the country's uniforms.
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The District of Columbia will honor two of the original Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal for Veterans Day.
Washington Mayor Vincent Gray and congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton will lay a wreath at the African American Civil War Memorial. A commemoration will follow for two Tuskegee Airmen who are D.C. residents at the African American Civil War Museum.
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The U.S. military's first female four-star general will be a grand marshal at New York City's Veterans Day Parade.
Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody retired last year after a 37-year Army career.
Organizers of the parade up Fifth Avenue have renamed it America's Parade.
The commemoration will include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Eternal Light Monument in Madison Square Park.
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Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will join a march and speak at the annual Veterans Day ceremony at the War Memorial.
Other Maryland events include Harley-Davidson enthusiasts gathering in Gaithersburg for their annual ride to Arlington National Cemetery to honor veterans; a parade in Leonardtown hosted by St. Mary's County; and a ceremony for veterans in Rockville, led by the city council and mayor.
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A former prisoner of war will join Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin to dedicate a wall commemorating Vietnam veterans.
Fallin and Col. Lee Ellis will give speeches Monday at the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall at Enid's Woodring Regional Airport. Ellis was a former Vietnam prisoner of war for more than five years with Sen. John McCain.
The wall is a smaller replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
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Associated Press bureaus in New York, Oklahoma City, and Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.
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