Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W. 31st St., will be holding a special Veterans Day ceremony at 1 p.m. Nov. 11.

The ceremony will take place south of the zoo’s Roosevelt Fountain, and will begin with a welcome from Dr. Stuart Strahl, the president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society. There will also be a special presentation of the Honor Guard from VFW Post 2580, of Midlothian.

Two current zoo employees who are also veterans — Glenn Granat, of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and Chris Blackburn, of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, will place a memorial wreath at the fountain.

There will also be an on-the-ground parachute demonstration from Mark Christianson, the Chicago chapter chairman from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

A special Zoo Chat will also take place with Leah, the zoo’s bald eagle, and Dakota, a red-tailed hawk.

Zoo visitors can receive free admission if they bring an item for Operation Stars and Stripes, an organization that creates care packages to send to those in the armed forces overseas. For a list of items, visit www.OperationStars.com.

All active, retired and reserve members of the armed forces receive free admission to the zoo year-round with a valid military identification.

For more information on the day’s events, call (708) 688-8000.\