Veterans from all military branches and all years of service will be honored on Friday as part of Dawsonville's 12th annual Veteran's Day celebration.

Veterans and their families and friends are invited to attend a free lunch at 1 p.m. Nov. 11 at Dawson County Junior High School.

A program will immediately follow the lunch at 2 p.m. The junior high is located on Allen Street in downtown Dawsonville.

The program will include a recorded message from Gary Sinise, who is best known for his role as Lt. Dan in the movie Forest Gump, and a recognition of veterans from each of the wars.

Dawson County Junior High chorus, Robinson Elementary chorus, Dawson County High School band, Kevin Woody and Sam Sweazey will be performing.

After the program, parts of Hwy. 53 and Hwy. 9 will be closed from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for a parade.

The public is encouraged to observe the day by lining the streets in downtown Dawsonville to show support for veterans and active military.

Designated as a 2016 Veterans Day Regional Site by the Veterans Day National Committee, Dawsonville is one of only two regional sites in Georgia to receive the recognition.

Also coinciding with Veteran's Day, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service and Gov. Nathan Deal's office have begun a Certificate of Honor program to present every Vietnam veteran in Georgia with a certificate to recognize them for their service.

Beginning at noon on Nov. 11 the University of North Georgia will honor and recognize veterans in and around Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee. All vets and active-duty service members will be honored. The event is free and open to the public and will be held on the Gen. William "Lipp" Livsey Drill Field at the Dahlonega campus.

To be recognized, Georgia veterans need to submit their full name, rank, branch of service and dates of service by email to cac@ung.edu or by phone at (706) 864-1547.