John Martin is preparing for his first Veterans Day as the town’s Veterans Services officer.

On Nov. 11, the parade will start at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Clarendon and East Central streets, and follow the traditional route, East Central to West Central, left onto Forest, left onto Pond, left onto Main Street, right onto East Central to the Morse Institute Library, where ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Following the ceremonies, there will be a lunch at the Community-Senior Center, 117 East Central St., sponsored by the Charles River Rotary Club, with the support of the Natick Fire Department. 

Registration for lunch is encouraged; sign up via the Veterans Services Office website, https://www.natickma.gov/591/Veterans-Services. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.; the guest speaker will be Eric Olsen, and there will be information about the Natick Veterans Oral History Project.

Since taking over as VSO last spring, Martin has initiated programs to better communicate with local veterans. He started a monthly Coffee Hour, which runs on the second Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Community-Senior Center, 117 East Central St. 

Different topics are presented each month. For October, it’s Healthy Living.

The event is free and open to veterans of all eras.

For information on these and other programs, contact Veterans Services at 508-647-6540, ext. 1900, or [email protected]. 

Office hours are Mondays - Thursdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.