Several Lawrence events, including an annual parade and a wreath-laying ceremony, are scheduled around Veterans Day this year to honor those who have served.
All events are free for the public to attend. Some require preregistration or have fees associated with participating; those are noted below.
Saturday, Nov. 9: Lawrence Veterans Day Parade
The parade board selected Rev. Verdell Taylor as the 2024 Grand Marshal, according to a news release from the parade association.
“Rev. Taylor served in the US Army from 1964 to 1985, both in Kansas and Colorado, as an Army National Guardsman and as an active duty member of the 169th Engineer Company and the 69th Infantry Brigade,” according to the release. “He completed his service as the Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 69th Infantry Brigade, Topeka, KS.”
Taylor was the senior pastor of St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lawrence, from November 1995 to September 2021, before he retired as an active pastor. He continues to engage with the community on several boards, including Lawrence Memorial Hospital Health, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, Douglas County Visiting Nurses/Hospice, Just Food, Douglas County Community Corrections, Lawrence Preservation Alliance and Douglas County Historical Society, according to the release.
Local veterans of all services, color guards, and assorted military vehicles will be present, and an aircraft flyover is tentatively scheduled, according to the release.
The parade is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday. It will move from South Park, 1141 Massachusetts St., north to Massachusetts and Seventh streets.
Participate in the parade by RSVP’ing on the parade website, veteransday-lawrence.org/contact, or calling or texting 785-576-3765.
Sunday, Nov. 10:
• Birthday celebration for the Marine Corps: KU Student Veterans of America (SVA) will celebrate the Marine Corps’ birthday with free cake for all attendees, while supplies last, according to a KU news release about a series of Veterans Day events.
The cake cutting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 at Jayhawk Welcome Center, 1266 Oread Ave. on KU’s campus.
SVA will then serve the slices as participants in a 5K run afterward finish the race.
• 5K run: A Veterans Day 5K is set to begin directly after the Marine Corp birthday cake cutting Sunday.
The annual run, hosted by the KU SVA and KU Veterans Alumni Network, aims to honor veterans and raise awareness of the ways in which veterans engage with the university, according to the KU news release.
Runners, walkers, wheelchair racers and more — both in person and virtual — all are welcome. All proceeds from the Vets Day 5K support KU SVA chapter, the KU Veterans Alumni Network and the Lt. Gen. William K. Jones Military-Affiliated Student Center.
The 5K run is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Registration, which is available for in-person or virtual participation, costs $40 per person at this link.
Because of construction at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, where the run is usually based at, information about this year’s route will become available at a later date, according to the release. Stay updated on the website, runsignup.com/Race/KS/Lawrence/K UVetsDay5K.
• Tribute gala: The KU ROTC will give a salute during a gala dedicated to veterans. Kansas City-based Moonlight Serenade Orchestra will perform live for an open dance floor.
The gala is scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive. It’s free to attend, but registration is required by calling the Dole Institute at 785-864-4900.
Monday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day:
• Wreath-laying ceremony: A wreath-laying ceremony will honor all KU faculty, staff and students who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Family members of KU veterans, including spouses and children whose parents served, will be especially recognized, according to the KU news release. Live music will be played by the university’s carillonneur, Kansas City, Kansas Police Pipe and Drum Band, and KU School of Music.
The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the World War II Memorial Campanile, 1450 Memorial Drive on KU’s campus.
• Dole Institute of Politics special exhibit: The Dole Institute of Politics will showcase artifacts from the lives of U.S. Sens. Bob and Elizabeth Dole. The exhibit will be open noon to 4 p.m. Monday. It’s free to view.
• Historical lecture: Karl Brooks, public affairs and administration professor of the practice, and Garrett Baber, KU psychology graduate student, will discuss Hugh Cameron, a Civil War veteran who lived in a treehouse in Lawrence.
The lecture is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday at Fayman Gallery, 927 1/2 Massachusetts St., above Sarah’s Fabrics. It’s free to attend.
Virtual Memory Wall
• Dole Institute of Politics ongoing virtual memory wall: The Kansas Veterans Virtual Memory Wall at the Dole “continues the late U.S. Sen. Bob Dole’s commitment to honoring Kansas veterans past and present,” according to the KU news release.
Veterans who have served the United States from World War II until present day, and who lived, served or were born in Kansas, are welcome to make submissions. Those who are interested can submit a veteran profile at kansasveterans.doleinstitute.org, or contact kansasveterans@ku.edu or 785-864-4900 for more information.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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