America’s fighting men and women were honored Monday during the 17th annual Veterans Day Parade in Murrieta.

The event got underway at 10 a.m. near the intersection of Ivy Street and Washington Avenue, rolling through the historic downtown area to Town Square Park, where the “Field of Honor” is on display at Adams Avenue and Kalmia Street.

Representatives from all service branches, marching bands, military vehicles, city and county officials, public safety personnel, vintage automobiles and other attractions were part of the procession, which included a flyover by historic warbirds.

Further tributes were being paid at the park, where the Murrieta Rotary Club’s Field of Honor opened Saturday, with the display of more than 2,000 3-by-5-foot American flags, bearing the names of active-duty and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Activities are scheduled all week at the location to underscore the importance and sacrifices associated with national service.

Also Monday, the Moreno Valley Department of Parks & Recreation held its 12th annual Veterans Day Celebration adjacent to the city’s Veterans Memorial. The event included patriotic music, a donation drive benefiting vets and a keynote address by Councilwoman Carla Thornton, a U.S. Air Force veteran, on the meaning of the day and her own experiences in the service.

On Saturday, Riverside’s 14th annual “Inland Empire Salute to Veterans Parade Expo” was held, featuring representatives from dozens of organizations, with veterans from each service branch taking part, military hardware and vintage airplane flyovers.

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