Veterans of all ages and from each branch of the military will be honored today during Dawsonville's annual Veterans Day celebration.
Formal ceremonies, which include patriotic music and live performances, start at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 in the auditorium at Dawson County Middle School.
Each of the periods of conflict will be honored, as well as the members of the military present who served in those conflicts, according to Don Brown, president of the Veterans Affairs of Dawson County, which organizes the event.
"We don't have that many World War II veterans still around, so I'm going to be introducing them by name," Brown said.
The program will feature a video of Robinson Elementary students performing songs from the World War II era, as well as performances by the choruses at Dawson County and Riverview Middle schools.
Local musicians will also perform during the ceremony.
The ceremony also gives organizers an opportunity to recognize a local veteran who goes above his or her call of duty to help others in the community.
"We want to make sure we are honoring our veterans," Brown said,
Veteran of the Year will be announced during the celebration and will ride it the parade that follows through downtown Dawsonville at 3:30 p.m.
"We've got quite a number of organizations that have said they're going to be there and participate in the parade," Brown said.
Designated as a 2015 Veterans Day Regional Site by the Veterans Day National Committee, Dawsonville is one of only two regional sites in Georgia to receive the recognition. The other is Atlanta.
The group, along with volunteers from Etowah Water and Sewer Authority and Chick-fil-A, will also provide lunch for the veterans and their spouses at 1 p.m. at the middle school.