The Daily Five: What's Open, What's Closed, And What's Special About Veterans Day

1. It should be warm again today, with temperatures climbing to 62 degrees under partly cloudy skies. Weather.com is predicting a chance of showers late tonight, when temperatures will dip to 56 degrees. 

2. On Sunday, East Lyme Veterans gathered at the memorial in downtown Niantic to celebrate Veterans Day and Old Lyme dedicated a new Veteran's Monument at the flagpole in the Duck River Cemetery. Both ceremonies happened at about 11 a.m.

Veterans Day ceremonies continue today, with events at the flagpole in front of Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall starting between 11 and 11:30 p.m. 

3. U.S. troops stationed in Germany got a real treat on Friday when the UConn Men's Basketball team played at Ramstein Air Base. The game was played in front of 31,000 members of the military and their families, including East Lyme native son, Col. James Mingo.

“The men and women who join today know what they are getting into,” Col. James Mingo told the Hartford Courant. “They know there is a good chance they will see combat. It makes it even more impressive that they made the choice they make.”

Col. Mingo, a tank battalion commander in the war in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 who now serves executive officer to the U.S. Army's commanding general in Europe, was interviewed by both the Hartford Courant and ESPN before the game. He told the Courant he made at least 15 calls to get tickets to the game for his son, Jack, and daughter, Jessica.

4. What's closed today? Sunday was Veteran's Day but banks and all government offices are closed today. That includes East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme Town Hall, and the local libraries. 

5. What's open today? East Lyme and Lyme-Old Lyme schools are in session today and students will be participating in a number of events to commemorate Veterans' Day. The East Lyme Board of Education will also meet tonight at 7 p.m.  

As they did yesterday, many stores and restaurants will be offering special deals and discounts for veterans and active members of the military today. Those include chain restaurants such as Denny's (free all you can eat pancakes from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Outback Steakhouse (free Bloomin' Onions and Cokes); and Friendly's (free breakfast). If Storm Sandy or the Nor'easter left you with the need to make home repairs, both Home Depot and Lowe's are offering a 10 percent discount to all members of the military.

To take advantage of any of these deals, you must be an active or retired member of the military or a veteran, and must show a valid military ID or have proof of military service. You'll find many more deals and discounts at TheMilitaryWallet.com. 

I would like to join everyone in saying, "Thank you for your service!" And not just today, but every day.