Ceremonies Honoring Vets Planned in Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Riverside

RIVERSIDE - A variety of Veterans Day events are planned in western Riverside County tomorrow, including a parade, a concert -- even an all- you-can-eat buffet free to current and former service members.

At 10 a.m., the city of Murrieta will hold its ninth annual Veterans Day Parade, traveling down Washington Avenue from Old Downtown to Town Square Park.

Representatives from all branches of the armed services, marching bands, military vehicles, firefighters and police officers will part of the procession, according to organizers. A formation flyover featuring classic warbirds is planned during the parade. The ceremony will conclude at 11:30 a.m. with a dedication of the Korean War Wall at the Veterans Memorial in the park's Field of Honor.

At 12:30 p.m., the Regal Players of Shakespeare in the Vines, along with the Southwest Women's Chorus, will gather in the park to read letters home from Americans in combat over the last century.

At the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a free lunch buffet will be provided to retired, honorably discharged or active- duty service members. A dinner buffet will also be available from 4 to 11 p.m. The Pechanga Theater will be converted to a mess hall for the occasion.

In Moreno Valley, the city will host a ''sunset service'' at 4:30 p.m. in the civic center, with remarks by U.S. Air Force Col. Mary Aldrian from March Air Reserve Base and Mayor Richard Stewart. The service will conclude with a wreath-laying by the Knights of Columbus at the Veterans' Memorial Wall.

At 7 p.m., the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside will hold a concert featuring the 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus, singing patriotic hymns. Comedian Howie Mandel will emcee the show, which will include a special tribute to Inland Empire World War II and Korean War veterans, some of whose stories are featured in a PBS documentary ''Reflections On War.''