Kane County Board member Thomas “T.R.” Smith jokes that one of the best ways to honor a veteran is to take him or her out to lunch.

Smith, of course, is a U.S. Army veteran of the Panama Canal Zone, a former sergeant with the E-5 Military Police and is commander and senior vice president of the Hampshire American Legion Post #680. So if you’re taking a veteran to lunch, T.R. qualifies.

(1) The city of Aurora recognizes the dedication of local military service men and women who have served our country at the annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

(2) The city of Elgin, in partnership with American Legion Post 57, will honor our nation’s veterans during the annual Veterans Day ceremony, scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Veterans Memorial Park.

(3) The South Elgin VFW Post 2327 hosts a Veterans Day service yearly in Panton Mill Park (across from Village Hall) at 10 a.m.

(4) The city of St. Charles celebrates Veterans Day at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Freedom Shrine behind the St. Charles Police Station, 211 N. Riverside Ave. in St. Charles.