FORT LEWIS, Wash. – Twenty-one Fort Lewis units and commands will support almost 60 Veterans Day events hosted by schools, veterans groups, and other organizations in local communities from November 4-12. Fort Lewis will provide guest speakers, equipment displays, musicians, and color guards.
Last year Fort Lewis supported just over 40 Veterans Day events.
Currently, almost 18,000 Fort Lewis Soldiers are deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. With almost two-thirds of the posts’ Soldier population deployed, Fort Lewis leaders made support for Veterans Day requests a priority as a way of saying thank you to people and communities who do so much throughout the year to support Soldiers and their Families.
“It’s especially gratifying to see our local communities putting veterans in the forefront, inviting Fort Lewis Soldiers to participate in such a wide range of events across the area,” said Maj. Mike Garcia, I Corps rear spokesman. “With so many of our Soldiers deployed this year, I’m certain this show of support for veterans will be especially meaningful to their families here at home.”
Fort Lewis will provide guest speakers, band or color guards for Veterans Day programs for 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, and 12 high schools in 15 different school districts, as well as one college.
Additionally, Fort Lewis Soldiers, color guards or band will participate in Veteran’s Day programs at three retirement communities, seven civic organizations, two churches, three community events, five businesses, two VA hospitals, one parade, and more.
This list is not all-inclusive of every Veteran’s Day program Fort Lewis will participate in.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
- Washington Labor & Industry program, 11 a.m., Tumwater – Band
- Tyee Park Elementary program, 12:30 p.m., Lakewood – Commanding General-speaker, 4th SBCT Soldiers
- Mill Pond Elementary program, 7 p.m., Yelm – 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) Color Guard
- Graham-Kapowsin High School, 1:10 p.m., Graham – Warrior Transition Battalion Guest Speaker
Friday, November 6, 2009
- Southworth Elementary program, 9:15 a.m., Yelm – I Corps Color Guard
- Evergreen Elementary program, 12:20 and 2:20 p.m., Fort Lewis – Band, and 4th SBCT display
- Filipino Community program, 6 p.m., Seattle – I Corps Color Guard
- Saltar’s Point Elementary program, 9 a.m., Steilacoom – 42nd MP Brigade guest speaker
Saturday, November 7, 2009
- Auburn Veterans Day Parade, 11 a.m., Auburn – Joint Service Color Guard, 56-Soldier marching unit
- Maple Valley Veterans Day Dinner, 5 p.m., Maple Valley I Corps Color Guard
Sunday, November 8, 2009
- South Sound Community Church, 9 a.m., Lacey – 191st Infantry Brigade Color Guard
- Oakbrook Golf and Country Club, 11:30 a.m., Lakewood – I Corps Color Guard
- VFW, 1 p.m., Puyallup – Stryker Brigade guest speaker
- Seattle Seahawks Veterans Day Game, 1 p.m., Seattle – 5th Stryker Bde Soldier pre-game
Monday, November 9, 2009
- Inglewood Junior High program, 7:45 a.m., Sammamish – Warrior Transition Battalion guest speaker
- Clover Park Technical College program, 11 a.m., Lakewood – Bugler, plus 4th Stryker Bde Color Guard
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
- Steilacoom High School program, 7:45 a.m., Steilacoom – 42nd MP Bde Color Guard and Guest Speaker
- Lincoln High School program, 8 a.m., Tacoma – Guest Speaker
- Tonasket High School program, 8:30 a.m., Tonasket – I Corps Color Guard
- Heritage Christian Elementary/Middle School, 8:20 a.m., University Place – DENTAC Color Guard
- Eatonville High School program, 8:45 a.m., Eatonville – 4-6 Air Cavalry Color Guard
- Totem Middle School program, 9 a.m., Kent – NCO Academy Guest Speaker
- Black Lake Elementary program, 9 a.m., Olympia – 593rd Sustainment Bde, Color Guard
- Emerald Ridge High School program, 9 a.m., Puyallup – 5th Stryker Brigade Color Guard
- Yelm High School program, 8:25 a.m., Yelm – 1st SFG Guest Speaker, 191st Infantry Bde Color Guard
- Jefferson Middle School program, 9:30 a.m., Olympia, 555th Engineer Bde Color Guard
- Baker Middle School program, 9:30 a.m., Tacoma – 4-6 Air Cavalry Guest Speaker
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System program, 11 a.m., Lakewood – 56th Army Band and Soldier
- Rainier High School program, 11:10 a.m., Rainier – 62nd Medical Brigade Color Guard
- PEMCO Financial Center Veterans Day program, 11:30, Seattle – 4th Stryker Bde Guest Speaker
- East Olympia Elementary program, 2 p.m., Olympia – 17th Fires Brigade Color Guard
- Faith Lutheran School program, 2 p.m., Lacey – 3rd Stryker Brigade Color Guard
- McNeil Island Corrections Center program, 1 p.m., Steilacoom – 42nd MP Bde Guest Speaker
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
- University of Washington Medal of Honor Memorial Dedication, Seattle – 56th Army Band
- Boy Scout Troop 282 program, 11 a.m., Gig Harbor – 201st Battlefield Surveillance Bde Guest Speaker
- Patriots Landing Retirement Community program, 11 a.m., DuPont – 6th MP Group Color Guard and display
- Washing Soldiers Home visit, 1:30 p.m., Orting – 17th Fires Brigade Soldiers
- Firs Retirement Community program, 1:30 p.m., Olympia – 593rd Sustainment Brigade Guest Speaker
- Tacoma Memorial Park program, 2 p.m., Tacoma – I Corps Honor Guard
- Elks Veterans Day Celebration, 7 p.m., Tacoma, I Corps Honor Guard and Guest Speaker
- Clover Park Rotary, 12 noon, Lakewood – Warrior Transition Battalion Guest Speaker
Thursday, November 12, 2009
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System program, 11 a.m., Seattle – 56th Army Band
The following Fort Lewis units or commands are supporting Veterans Day events and programs:
- I Corps Headquarters
- Lewis U.S. Army Garrison Headquarters
- Madigan Army Medical Center
- Warrior Transition Battalion
- Fort Lewis Dental Command (DENTAC)
- Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) Academy
- 1st Special Force Group (Airborne)
- 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
- 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
- 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry
- 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
- 6th Military Police Group (CID)
- 17th Fires Brigade
- 42nd Military Police Brigade
- 62nd Medical Brigade
- 191st Infantry Brigade
- 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade
- 555th Engineer Brigade
- 593rd Sustainment Brigade
- I Corps Command Honor Guard
- 56th Army Band
For more information about Fort Lewis support or participation in community Veterans Day events, please call the Fort Lewis Public Affairs
Community Relations Office, Matt Hinkle, 253-967-0146, or Brendalyn Carpenter, 253-967-0154.