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Veterans Day in Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop
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The Manteca Chamber of Commerce will place 2,400 flags along city streets Friday to mark Veterans Day. - photo by HIME ROEMRO/Bulletin file photo

Veterans Day commemoration activities take place today and Friday in Manteca, Ripon and Lathrop.
New this year is the Meals for Heroes lunch at the student operated Be.Cuisne Café’ at the Manteca Unified School District office complex at 2271 W. Louise Ave.
Be.tech culinary student Stephania Mercado has arranged for the lunch today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. serve as a benefit for the Manteca Veterans of Foreign Wars post. For every $15 meal sold, $5 will go to the VFW post. The meal includes tri-tip, herb roasted potatoes, beans, fresh focaccia roll, bottled water, and dessert.
Tickets are available at the B.tech office or by calling 209.858.7460.
Brock Elliott School today at 9:30 a.m. will conduct their annual Brock Elliott Day event honoring all veterans. The school is named after Brock Elliott, the first Manteca soldier to lose his life in the Vietnam War. The 18 from Manteca that died in that war have their names set on plaques on 18 seperate rocks in front of the school.
The Manteca Senior Center Advisory Committee is also planning its annual Veterans Appreciation Program Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the senior center, 295 Cherry Lane. The Senior Center is partnering with the retirement homes in the community to stage the event including Prestige, The Commons at Union Ranch and Brookdale.
Friday morning at 11 a.m. the Manteca American Legion Post will lead the Veterans Day event at the Manteca Library gazebo.  The Legion and the VFW Post trade off every year in hosting the event. 
The colors will be presented by the East Union High School JROTC unit under the direction of M/Sgt. Moreno with a bugler from the ranks of the American Legion.
Both the American Legion and the VFW members will share in the 21-gun salute at the commencement of the ceremonies, according to Commander Bob Gonzalez.
The National Anthem will be sung by Miss California Amanda Rosas. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Dave Blanco of Boy Scout Troop 422.
Speaker for the event is Major General Eldon P. Regua, of Tracy, deputy commanding general of the  th U.S. Army.
The Ripon Veterans’ Day ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday near the Ripon Memorial Museum at Locust and First streets in downtown Ripon, next to the Veterans’ Wall and will be presented by the Ripon American Legion Post 190 and the Ripon VFW Post 1051. 
Ripon Police Chief Ed Ormonde is serving as the master of ceremonies. He will introduce speakers including Ripon Mayor Jake Parks and San Joaquin County Supervisor Chuck Winn.  American Legion Services Officer Ken Lawson will be providing special recognition of veterans’ service officers.
Also from 8:30 until 10 a.m. Friday, the Ripon Senior Center is hosting a coffee and donuts for veterans at their location on South Wilma Avenue at Fourth Street.
The Lathrop ceremonies are being held at 11 a.m. at Valverde Park near the Memorial Wall at 1507 Fifth Street between Lathrop Road and Louise Avenue where the Lathrop Elementary School choir is scheduled to perform.  City Parks and Recreation Director Zach Jones will be the master of ceremonies, introducing the guest speaker, Reserve M/Sgt. Ganell Lewis.