Nov. 10. 2012: Chihuahas Duke, right, and Daisy, prepare to ride aboard their owner's Harley-Davidson motorcycle to start the annual Veterans Day Parade through downtown Atlanta. (AP)
WASHINGTON – Saturday marks the first of what will be three days of Veterans Day commemorations across the U.S.
The holiday falls on a Sunday, and the federal observance is on Monday. It's the first such day honoring the men and women who served in uniform since the last U.S. troops left Iraq in December 2011.
It's also a chance to thank those who stormed the beaches during World War II -- a population that is rapidly shrinking with most of those former troops now in their 80s and 90s.
In Washington, a steady stream of people visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Saturday. On Sunday, thousands are expected to line Fifth Avenue for New York City's Veterans Day Parade.
The World War II museum in New Orleans also is honoring veterans.
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