Moss Elementary held its annual ceremony this morning. The school has been holding a salute for veterans for about 14 years now, organizers said

Tuesday, celebrations will get under way with a sunrise tribute on the east side of the Howard County Courthouse, beginning at 7 a.m. The POW/MIA flags will be erected and refreshments will be served.

Marcy Elementary, 2101 Wasson Road, will be celebrating National Freedom Week with a Freedom Walk at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday on campus. A ceremony and reception for veterans will be held following the walk. All veterans are invited.

Tuesday afternoon, Goliad Intermediate, 200 Goliad St., will host its annual Veterans Salute at in the school's gym. Veterans are asked to arrive between 1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the front office for to sign in. Refreshments will be provided. The salute will begin about 2:15 p.m.

Veterans Day activities will at the Big Spring VA Medical Center will culminate at 11 a.m. with the unveiling of a statue of  George O'Brien, Big Spring's only Medal of Honor recipient. O'Brien, a 2nd lieutenant in the Marines during the Korean War, led his fellow troops on a four-hour assault, despite receiving multiple wounds.

Prior to the unveiling, Arden Glover, a friend of O'Brien's and a Purple Heart recipient, will provide the keynote address.

Also during the ceremonies, relatives of Conrad Alvarez and Kristian Menchaca, Big Spring men killed in action in Iraq, will lay a wreath at the base of the flagpole at the VAMC. Belinda Garcia, Alvarez' mother and Menchaca's mother-in-law, will be joined by Maira Alvarez and Christina Menchaca, widows of the respective men, during the ceremony.

The Goodfellow AFB Honor Guard will participate in ceremonies.

Following the unveiling, veterans and their families are invited to lunch at First Baptist Church.  As a gesture of appreciation to all veterans, the meal is being provided by Dr. John Freeman, CEO and Kevin Freeman, president of CeRamKote Coatings Inc. of Big Spring. James Duncan of Duncan Drilling also assisted.

Funds for the statue were donated by Jerry and Louise Worthy, long-time friends of the O'Briens,  said Iva Jo Hanslik, community relations director for the VAMC.

Utah sculptor Matthew Glenn, who created the statue, will be among those on hand Tuesday to assist in the unveiling.