Veteran's Day parades, ceremonies to honor members of armed forces for service, sacrifice
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.