Texoma Communities Host Various Veterans Day Events and Ceremonies

Communities across the Texoma region are preparing to honor military service members with a wide array of parades, ceremonies, breakfasts, and community cookouts as Veterans Day arrives.

Wichita Falls will host a Veterans Day ceremony at Wichita Falls Memorial Stadium on November 11 at 11 a.m. The event features performances by the Sheppard Elementary Choir alongside JROTC students from Legacy High School and Memorial High School.

Earlier that morning at 9 a.m., Wichita Christian High School will host its 18th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony, featuring presentations from the WCS Student Council, Elementary Choir, and Band, with keynote remarks delivered by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Thomas. Later in the day at 5:30 p.m., Lake Wichita Park will host an event organized by the Thomas Fowler American Legion Post #169.

Texoma Communities Host Various Veterans Day Events and Ceremonies — Photo: kxii.com

Other communities throughout the region are kicking off the holiday early or scheduling morning gatherings. Bowie, Texas, is hosting a Pancake Breakfast with Veterans at 500 N Smythe St. starting at 8:30 A.M. In Graham, Texas, a Veterans Day Breakfast is scheduled for 7:30 A.M. at 1015 Cliff Dr.

Festivities span multiple counties in both states. Tuesday activities include a free-admission lecture in Gainesville featuring guest speaker Jeremy Godwin, and Murray State College in Tishomingo celebrating the installation of its new campus Veterans Memorial.

On Wednesday, the Ardmore Veterans Home is hosting a community cookout following a Carter County Veterans Council ceremony. Wednesday events include a Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Clyde W. Cosper Texas State Veterans Home.

Meanwhile, Lawton, Oklahoma, held a celebration at City Hall on November 9, followed by a complimentary breakfast. Cameron University in Lawton will host its annual ceremony Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the campus Veterans Grove, featuring Fort Sill’s Garrison Commander, Colonel Jay Morgan, as the keynote speaker.

VFW Post 5263 at 103 NW 20th Street in Lawton is partnering with Kappa Sigma for a pulled pork sandwich fundraiser supporting veterans in need from 5:30-7:30 Wednesday evening, where $10 gets a pulled pork sandwich and fries, followed by an annual flag retirement ceremony at 6:30 p.m. to retire worn American flags.

Additional events include a parade in downtown Durant starting at 9:30 a.m. alongside a reception at the VFW, a courthouse lawn observance in Madill at 11:00 a.m., and a parade in Sulphur beginning at 1:00 p.m. where the public is invited to watch anywhere along the route from W. 12th and Broadway to W. 6th Street.

Later in the week, Murray State College will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Veterans Memorial at the Ardmore campus on Thursday, November 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Ada Sunrise Rotary Club will host its annual program starting at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, November 13, at the Aldridge Cafe Ballroom where all veterans eat free, and weekend events include the Denison Veterans Day Parade along Main Street starting at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, and the Hugo Veterans Day Parade starting at 10:00 a.m. along a route from E. Kirk Street to Lions Park.