UNION GROVE - A Veterans Day ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Maurer Hall at the Wisconsin Veterans Home, 21425 Spring St. Maurer Hall is located on Walnut Drive between Gates and Boland Halls. The public is invited.

John A. Scocos, Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, will be the keynote speaker. Scocos was appointed secretary on Oct. 21, 2003. He recently returned from his second tour of duty in Iraq, joining the nearly 28,000 from Wisconsin who have served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Scocos is a veteran with 30 years of active and reserve military service with the Army, including service overseas and stateside.

Also speaking will be Brig. Gen. Dominic Cariello, the assistant adjutant general for readiness and training for the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Most recently he was selected for a dual-hat position as the deputy commanding general, Training Support Division (West) for the First Army.

Master of ceremonies will be Randy Nitschke, commandant of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove. The No Next of Kin Funeral Honors Team will post the colors, and "Taps" will be sounded by Carly Nixon. Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Chuck Sweetman will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Veterans from their respective service branch will post the service flags. Pastors Chuck and Sean Sweetman will offer the invocation and benediction. The national anthem will be sung by Jeni Swedberg, and the Wisconsin Veterans Home-Union Grove Member Choir will perform during the ceremony.

WDVA Secretary Scocos said, "I encourage all citizens, young and aged, to honor veterans not just this day, but throughout the year."

For more information, call (262) 878-6700.