Veterans Day events

A variety of Veterans Day activities are planned around metro Detroit in the coming days:

• Ann Arbor: The VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System will hold its annual Veterans Day program at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the circle drive of the Medical Center, 2215 Fuller Road. The University of Michigan Tri-Service ROTC Units will be running the program, which will include comments from VA officials, keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais, Michigan adjutant general, and a rifle salute and Taps performance by the Washtenaw County Veterans Honor Guard.

• Ann Arbor: The Leslie Science and Nature Center is dedicating its new bald eagle's enclosure to veterans during a Veterans Day event 2-4 p.m. today at 1831 Traver Road. The free event kicks off with a brief program, including music, special guests, an honor guard and a ribbon-cutting of the new enclosure. A letter-writing station will allow children to draw pictures to send overseas, and attendees can bring items for care packages, including toiletries, nonperishable and non-melting treats such as candy and beef jerky, magazines and paperback books, writing paper and envelopes.

• Canton: Service members will be honored in a Salute to Service ceremony today at the Village Theater at Cherry Hill, 50400 Cherry Hill Road. Featured guest speaker will be Robert H. Miller, author of "Hidden Hell: Discovering My Father's POW Diary." He will discuss his latest release, "Portraits of Service," which honors a broad cross section of veterans from five wars. Military memorabilia will be on display. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the stage presentation is at 3 p.m.

• Clarkston: Cedar Crest Academy will have a Veterans Day flag ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Monday. A U.S. flag flown earlier this year over a U.S. Army post in Afghanistan will be raised over the school, and the children will be instructed in flag etiquette and facts. Members of a local VFW post will oversee the ceremony. Cedar Crest is at 8970 Dixie Highway.

• Dearborn: The city's Veterans Day ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. today inside the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 13615 Michigan Ave. The Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council's veteran of the year, Richard Przebienda of the Navy, will be honored. The selection committee cited Przebienda's major commitment to veterans, including 888 hours of volunteer service, most spent visiting patients in VA hospitals.

• Detroit: Local chapters of Veterans For Peace will display one cross for every Michigan soldier killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars 11 a.m.-5 p.m. today in downtown Detroit's Grand Circus Park. Each cross bears the photo, name, age, rank and unit of one of the 64 Michigan soldiers killed in Afghanistan and 160 killed in Iraq. A short memorial service for those killed in all wars is at 11 a.m. in the spirit of Armistice Day -- now known as Veterans Day -- which closed World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Grand Circus Park is on Woodward at West Adams.

• Detroit: The 28th annual Veterans Day program at Elmwood Historic Cemetery at 10 a.m. Monday will honor members of the 102nd U.S. Colored Troops. The ceremony will include a presentation of the wreaths, recognition of veterans groups, presentation of the roses for the 102nd Civil War troops and North American Indians, Taps and a flyover. More than 450 JROTC high school students from 13 Detroit Public Schools will be involved. The cemetery is at 1200 Elmwood.

• Detroit: The Detroit Police Department's Northeastern District will host a Veterans Day luncheon Monday at the James Europe Post #2233, 18651 Mound Road. Doors open at 10 a.m., a ceremony begins at 11 a.m., and lunch will be served at noon. The Northeastern District also is holding a canned food drive until Monday. Unexpired canned goods can be dropped off at 5100 E. Nevada and will be taken to shelters to assist with feeding homeless people.

• Shelby Township: West Utica Elementary will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the school, 5415 W. Utica Road. Veterans from various conflicts will be celebrated during the hour-long program, which will feature patriotic songs, comments from members of the local VFW hall (#4659) and student speeches.

• Troy: The Troy Veterans Memorial Committee will host its annual Troy Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. today at Troy Veterans Plaza in front of City Hall, 500 W. Big Beaver. The program will include raising of colors and the laying of the memorial wreath on the Veterans Monument by honorary guests. Music will be provided by the Heritage Concert Band of Troy. The keynote speaker is Nancy Susick, a senior vice president of Beaumont Health System who serves as president of Beaumont Hospital.

• Warren: Sgt. James L. Green, a World War II prisoner of war, will speak about his experiences to students at Chatterton Middle School at 10:15 a.m. Monday. He has been giving such talks since 2002, but at age 87, this will be the last time he speaks with students. He is a retired assistant principal of Chatterton. Green was stationed in Tinian and was shot down on a bombing run to knock out a radio tower.

• Warren: Davenport University and its chapter of the Student Veterans of America is celebrating Monday with a public event 11 a.m.-1 p.m. A Black Hawk helicopter is scheduled to land on campus at 9:30 a.m. for people to tour and take photos. Visitors will be encouraged to sign a flag and write letters to deployed Davenport students. State Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, will give a resolution presentation, and the Warren Mott High School Band will perform. The campus is at 27650 Dequindre.