Local Towns Hold Veterans’ Day Ceremonies Saturday

Local towns will mark Veterans’ Day this Saturday, Nov. 11 with ceremonies honoring those serving in the armed forces.

In Chatham, the ceremony will be held indoors at the community center at 11 a.m. Local scouts, a VFW color guard, and town officials will participate. Sarah Marchio will play bagpipes and Laura Barabe will sing the National Anthem.

Brewster will hold its ceremony at the council on aging beginning at 10 a.m. Select board chair Ned Chatelain will give opening remarks, followed by Rev. Wesley Williams, Retired Lt. Paula Smith and Retired Cpt. Stephanie Helm. Local musician Ron Fuller will perform the National Anthem.

Harwich’s ceremony will include the dedication of the new Veterans Memorial Circle at Evergreen Cemetery in East Harwich at 10:30 a.m. After a welcome by the town’s cemetery commission, World War II veteran Joe McAleer will provide the invocation. Chip Carroll, USAF retired, will serve as master of ceremonies. The U.S. and POW/MIA flags will be raised by retired Navy master chief Sean Libby. Twelve local veterans representing each service branch will raise the flags of each branch, and the Harwich Select Board will read a proclamation. The keynote speaker will be Art Devine, a Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret. Fifth Barnstable Representative Steven Xiarhos will provide words of remembrance, followed by the benediction by McAleer. Music will be provided by the Harwich Town Band, the Monomoy High School A Capella Singers. Boy and Girl Scouts and Civil Air Patrol members will also participate.

Orleans will host its annual Veterans’ Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park. This year’s keynote speaker will be retired Coast Guard Master Chief Jeff Smith. Andrew DeLory, a retired U.S. Army specialist, will also speak, and prayers will be given by retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Alan Wilmot. Music will be performed by the Nauset Regional Middle School band and chorus. The Orleans Police and Fire Honor Guards and members of American Legion Post 380 and the town’s Veterans and Memorial Day committee also will be in attendance.