Wednesday is Veterans Day, and several groups in Lawrence will hold events to honor the men and women who have served in the United States military.

It will be a busy day for Jerome Hanson, post commander of the American Legion Dorsey-Liberty Post No. 14.

The post, at 3408 W. Sixth St., will host a gathering for veterans, their families and anyone who’s interested at 11 a.m. Wednesday. A firearm salute and playing of taps will end the program, to be followed by cookies, coffee and tea, Hanson said.

Through the rest of the day, members of the post will visit with veterans, their family members and rest homes. Hanson said he got a call from a teacher in Olathe asking him to come speak to her class about what it means to be a veteran.

Hanson said the post is also working on a program to distribute Challenge Coins to service members in retirement homes, traditionally used in the service to boost morale and mark perseverance through a challenge. The coins feature the American Legion insignia on one side and the branch of the military in which the recipient served on the other.

“All the veterans who are in those nursing homes will get one of these coins, as a sign that we haven’t forgotten them,” Hanson said.

Brooklynne Mosley, senior vice commander with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 852, said there will be a ceremony with a speaker, followed by hors d’oeuvres, that starts at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the post, 1801 Massachusetts St.

The VFW holds ceremonies every year for Veterans Day, but this year’s 70th anniversary of the end of World War II may hold special significance for the sole living member of the local VFW who was involved in it, Mosley said.

The organization’s national website, vfw.org, also has a link to “Veterans Day deals” for this year, listing businesses and websites offering veterans discounts. Minsky’s Pizza, 934 Massachusetts St., is one local business offering a special for veterans and active-duty military members Wednesday.

The Windsor of Lawrence, an assisted living facility, will also hold a public celebration for veterans from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, 3220 Peterson Road.