Residents across the Central Valley will gather on Wednesday to honor the brave men and women who have fought for our country.

From Fresno to Porterville, and many other places in between, Veterans Day is being observed across the area.

The largest Veterans Day Parade on the west coast, will get under way Wednesday morning in Downtown Fresno. The parade begins at 11 a.m. and will go through Tulare, Fresno, Van Ness, "P" and Inyo Streets.

Thousands are expected to line the sidewalks to cheer those marching.  Among those participating this year; General Vang Pao. The Hong leader is best known for leading his troops, to help American forces in the Vietnam war.  It's the first time the general has participated in any parade.

In Visalia, people can gather at the College of the Sequoia's to sign cards for current members of the military, along with veterans here an overseas. The signing takes place from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Residents can also check out the city's annual Veterans Day Program at the historic Fox Theater in Downtown Visalia. The program's theme is "Our Country-America The Beautiful" and will begin at 1 p.m.

Porterville will hold it's 91st Veterans Day Parade Wednesday morning. The parade will begin at the Corner of Main St. & Morton at 10 a.m.

Over in the North Valley in Merced, the Merced County Veterans Council  will hold the 5th Annual Veterans Day Parade.

The parade begins with a ceremony at the Courthouse Park Veterans Memorial at 11 a.m., before kicking off at 1 p.m. The parade will start at the corner of West Main and G Streets, proceed west on Main, and turn north on O Street to its end.

"The Veterans Day Parade continues to be an important event for Merced County. It is our privilege to welcome residents downtown to honor our area veterans and their families," commented Darren Hughes, the Merced County Veterans Service Officer.

In Clovis, the annual Hubbard-Baro Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Fort Washington Golf and Country Club. The Hubbard-Baro Memorial Golf Tournament began in 2005 as a memoriam to the lives of Jared Hubbard and Jeremiah Baro, who were killed the year prior while serving the Marine Corps in Iraq. Check in begins at 11 a.m. You can find more information on the tournament at www.hubbardbarogolf.com .

Veterans can also take advantage of their special day at all local Applebee's Restaurants. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurants will be showing their support and thanks to the military by offering complimentary entrees to all veterans and active duty military personnel all day on Wednesday.

 If you know of an event that hasn't been posted here, tell us about it on our Community Correspondent Page.

Stay with KMPH and KMPH.com throughout the day for our Veterans Day coverage.