Vietnam Veterans of Southern Minnesota is celebrating its 25th year as a charter nonprofit group and the 20th anniversary of the Blue Earth Nicollet County Memorial.

Former Congressman Tim Penny is the guest speaker for the group’s program at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday at the memorial near Stoltzman Road. Penny, who was the speaker at the memorial’s dedication, is a former U.S. Naval Reserve lieutenant commander.

A number of Veterans Day ceremonies and activities are planned in the area.

Mankato/N. Mankato
— 9 a.m. — Korean Memorial and Veterans Memorial Bridge sites.

— 10 a.m. — Word War II Memorial, Wheeler Park.

— 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. program at Central High School at Lincoln Community Center, led by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9713.

— 12:10 p.m. — Vietnam Memorial, Stoltzman Road.

— 2:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. — program at Mankato East Junior High School, led by American Legion Post 11. Citation honoring Gunnery Sgt. Robert W. Homer will be read.

Veterans Day meals
— A taco bar lunch will be served at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post 11. Open to public; cost $5.50.

— Hy-Vee Food Stores will serve free buffet breakfasts to veterans Tuesday. Downtown Hy-Vee will serve breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Hilltop Hy-Vee will serve breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. People who are not veterans will be charged a fee for meals.

Area ceremonies
— Arlington — 10:45 a.m. program at Sibley East High School in Arlington; speaker is Chief Petty Officer Shelby Ploeger.

— Blue Earth — Kindergarten through eighth-grade students will present a Veterans Day program 2:15 p.m. at Blue Earth Area School’s Lee R. Pemberton Auditorium. The eighth-grade band and choir will provide music. The public is invited. The time is a change from the time printed in the school’s calendar.

— New Richland — 2:30 p.m. New Richland Care Center.

— Madelia — 5 p.m. dinner and 7 p.m. program at American Legion. Speaker Nathan Fenske of Madelia, member of Minnesota Army National Guard.

— Mountain Lake — 8:15 a.m. program at Mountain Lake Public School.