Veterans Day Parade, Friday, Nov. 6, 2009

The Statehouse canons will be fired on the West Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse to begin the parade in honor of Ohio's veterans. This U.S. holiday stretches back to the end of World War I and commemorates the nation's thousands of combat veterans who fought in the service of their country.

There are 1.8 million female veterans as of 2008.  There are 9.2 million veterans 65 and older in 2008. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.9 million were younger than 35.  As of 2008, there are 50,000 living veterans who served during both the Vietnam and Gulf War eras. Other living veterans in 2008 who served during two or more wars:

- 92,000 served during three periods: World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

- Living veterans in 2008 who served during two wars:
- 740,000 served during both Gulf War eras.
- 245,000 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam Era.
- 182,000 served during both World War II and the Korean War.

There were 5.5 million veterans with a disability in 2008.

A pre-parade ceremony at City Hall, 90 W. Broad St., will begin at 10:30 a.m. and feature a speech by Command Sgt. Maj. Albert Whatmough of the Ohio National Guard.

A cannon on the Statehouse lawn is scheduled to be fired at 11:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and noon. Re-enactors from the 1st Ohio Statehouse Battery will be on hand to discuss the historic 1864 cannons.

The parade will begin at noon on Friday at Nationwide Boulevard and N. High Street. It will head south on High Street, west on W. Broad Street and end at Veterans Memorial.

At 3 p.m., Veterans Memorial will be the site of the induction ceremony for new members of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

The Columbus-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines will collect toys for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation along the parade route on Friday.

The Marines want new, unwrapped toys for needy children, especially children older than 12.   The Marines distributed 46,000 toys to about 18,000 families in central Ohio last year.