While Oak Harbor will mark Veterans Day with events that include a parade and an annual ceremony, the other communities on the island will also show their appreciation to those who served.
The town of Coupeville invites community members to attend the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11 at the Island County Veterans Memorial.
The event will honor each branch of the military with a raising of their flag and their hymn sung by the Shifty Sailors. For the first time, the United States Space Force — which is the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces — will be celebrated as well.
Attendees may also write the name of a loved veteran and plant it in the ground around the memorial, located at the corner of Sixth and Center streets.
Veterans Day on South Whidbey this year will be a relatively quiet day of honor.
At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, the Buck Francisco Marine Corps League and American Legion Post 141 will lead a short ceremony in Bayview Cemetery, located at the intersection of Howard and Bayview roads.
Bob Gabelein, a member of the Buck Francisco Marine Corps League, said there will be an event speaker either from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island or himself.
The brief Veterans Day ceremony includes a rifle salute and taps.
As the News-Times reported last week, Oak Harbor — home to a Navy base and a large population of veterans — celebrates the day in several ways. The Navy League is hosting the 21st annual ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday at the Oak Harbor High School.
This year’s parade, the second hosted in collaboration with Oak Harbor Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce, begins at 2 p.m. on Pioneer Way.
The Saturday before Veterans Day, the Whidbey Island Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America splits off to cemeteries in Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Clinton. Over 50 veterans and 25 members of the JROTC will assemble to mourn, pray and honor veterans and place 1,400 flags around the island.