Veterans' Day parade planned

The City of Sarasota in partnership with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee will host the annual Veterans’ Day parade in downtown Sarasota Sunday, Nov. 11 starting at 10 a.m.

The annual event will begin at Main Street and Osprey Avenue, and at the conclusion of the parade, a ceremony will be held at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park at Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue. The ceremony is expected to begin at approximately 11 a.m. The public is encouraged to attend.

The theme for the 2012 Veterans’ Day ceremony is “For Those Who Serve.” The keynote speaker will be Tuskegee Airman George E. Hardy, Lt. Col. USAF (Retired). Mr. Hardy became the youngest Tuskegee Airman when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in September 1944. He flew 21 combat missions over Germany, 45 combat missions over Korea, and 70 combat missions during the Vietnam War.