A ceremony honoring all U.S. veterans including those currently serving and those who served this country will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo.

A fly-over of a C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter military cargo plane from Travis Air Force Base will begin the ceremony. Patriotic music will also be performed by the Foothill High School band, under the direction of Mitch Barr.

The ceremony will include singing of the Piute National Anthem by Dove Juede.There will also be presentations by two guest speakers including Robert Burroughs, director of the Veterans Museum in Redding, and Robert Brautigan, acting secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Semper Fi color guard will present the nation’s flag, perform a rifle salute and Taps.

The program concludes with “Amazing Grace” played by bagpiper Carrie Wigham.

Prior to Veterans Day, the City of Shasta Lake holds its annual Veterans Day Parade stepping off at 10:10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7.

A military aircraft fly-over will signal the start of the parade. Retired U.S. Army Major Fred Salanti, who founded and is national executive director of the Missing in America Project, will be the 2009 Grand Marshal.

A pancake breakfast will be served at 9:15 a.m. prior to the parade. A community barbecue follows the parade. For more information, contact John Cleckner at 243-2100.

Not connected with either event, military veterans with proof of service can eat free on Wednesday at the Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill in Redding.Also, the Enterprise Lions Club will hold a one-day drive-through fund-raiser for the giant flag on N. Bechelli Lane from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11.The flag fund, which has a goal of $150,000 to perpetually provide maintenance and adequate supplies of large flags, is currently at $100,000 and organizers are hoping to add to that total by driving to the flagpole and donating generously, said Mike Ferrier of the Enterprise Lions Club.