From 9 to noon and 2 to 5 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, remember the women of the Vietnam War through stories told by Vietnam vets and their children. The event is part of the “In Their Own Words” educational program by the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation. Call 301-314-8505 for more information.

The US Navy Memorial (701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW) has several events lined up to commemorate Veterans Day, beginning with a book signing at noon. David Sears will sign copies of At War With the Wind, a study of Japanese kamikaze fighters during World War II. At 1, a wreath-laying ceremony is scheduled at the memorial followed by a screening of the film Pappy Boyington Field, which details a controversy-ridden campaign by veterans groups to honor a World War II major.

The National Museum of American Jewish Military History (1811 R St., NW; 202-265-6280) is presenting a unique Veterans Day perspective with its presentation entitled “Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art.” Szyk, who died in 1951, was a World War I veteran and later an active member of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States organization. Irvin Ungar, who curates the Arthur Szyk Society, will speak on Syzk’s art and its powerful political messages. The two-hour presentation begins at 1.

Earlier this year, the National Museum of the American Indian (Fourth St. and Independence Ave., SW) issued a call for four-minute documentaries to be entered in a short-film contest for Veterans Day. On Wednesday, the top three winners of Answering the Call will have their work screened along with other films focusing on the experiences of Native Americans in the military. The screenings, which are free, take place in the Rasmuson Theater at 11:30 and 3:30.

Monday, November 9
Busboys and Poets at 14th and V streets hosts author James W. Loewen as he discusses and signs his new book, Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History. In the follow-up to his book Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Loewen calls for a new way to teach history by exploring the hidden facts of America’s past. The event begins at 6:30 in the Langston Room.

Tuesday, November 10
The National Museum of Women in the Arts continues its second annual festival with staged readings of plays and poetry. Today’s event, Voices of Liberty: English Women Poets from 1649-1750,” features work by such poets as Aphra Behn and Anne Bradstreet as well as a dance performance by the Artefacts Dance Company. The event runs from 7 to 9.

Wednesday, November 11
Stephen P. Cohen, founder and president of the Institute for Middle East Peace & Development, will discuss and sign his new book, Beyond America’s Grasp: A Century of Failed Diplomacy in the Middle East, at Politics and Prose. The book is the product of more than 40 years of work and study in the region, and it explores the volatile legacy that began with Woodrow Wilson and continues today. The event begins at 7.

1. This week marks your last chance to grab some popcorn and catch the free DC Latin American Film Showcase. On Thursday, E Street Cinema will screen Proyect Grey—a Salvadorian film about a camping trip gone awry—at 6:30 and at 8:30, The Maid, which explores class issues in modern Chile. Tickets are first come, first-served and are distributed one per person 30 minutes prior to the film.

2. Tucked as it is between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce in the federal dictionary, it’s easy to overlook the US Department of Bhangra. Dedicated to bringing a hot monthly Indian dance party to Washington, its employees work at Bossa on Thursday night, keep odd hours (10 PM to 2 AM), and require very little funding (an $8 cover). For more information, visit Bhangra’s official Web site.

3. Winner of the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s 2009 Open Exhibition Opportunity, artist Renee van der Stelt will showcase ten large sculptures and drawings that resemble satellite images of Earth at the gallery on Friday from 6 to 8. This free exhibit is accompanied by an artist’s talk at 7.

Monday, November 2
The Cabral/Truth Circle hosts “Stories of Hope and Struggle,” a film and panel discussion about the plight of Haitian women, at Busboys and Poets at 14th and V streets, Northwest. The film Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy profiles five Haitian women whose stories shed light on their country’s hardships. York College assistant professor of African American studies and anthropology Mark Schuller, who produced and co-directed the film, will lead a panel discussion. Event starts at 6.

Tuesday, November 3
In Mexican culture, the souls of the dead visit their living friends and family in the beginning of November. National Geographic Live! (1600 M St., NW; 202-857-7700) will screen La Ofrenda: Days of the Dead, a 50-minute film that shows the runs of Mitla, the gateway to the underworld, according to Mexican Indians. Produced by Lourdes Portillo and Susana Muñoz, the 1989 movie also explores the Latino community’s Day of the Dead traditions in California. Noon.

1. You can take the edge off at McFadden’s from 4 to 7 each weekday, when all beers and appetizers are half off. If you’ve had a tough week in the office, you can up the ante with the bar’s Get Bombed Thursdays, where all beers, vodka flavors, and everything on McFadden’s new Bomb Menu are 50 percent off. Between chicken wings, fried mozzarella sticks, and popcorn shrimp for $5 or less, you can afford to drink on a full stomach.

2. A new season of American Idol is almost upon us. You can test your own auditioning skills at Logan Circle’s 1409 Playbill Café, where Monday and Thursday karaoke, which kicks off at 9:30, is encouraged by $4 pints of Bass Ale and select vodka and rum drinks.

3. Pre-game for Halloween by heading to Policy on Thursday for the free Just the Tip Halloween Throw Down. Five DJs will spin, beers are $3, and shooters cost $4. The party starts at 9:30. Come dressed to frighten.

Wednesday, October 28
The DC Improv is combining comedy and good deeds for its 5th Annual Children’s Hospital Halloween Benefit and Collection Drive. The DC Improv Comedy School Cast will headline the event, during which the club will collect costumes, toys and Halloween-themed decorations to distribute to Children’s Hospital. Bring your Halloween merch and enjoy the improv team. All donations must be brand-new for disease and infection control. Doors open at 7, and the show starts at 8:30. Tickets are $15. Visit here for more information.

Thursday, October 29, through Sunday, November 1
The fourth installment of the series written by Jaston Williams and Joe Sears, Tuna Does Vegas premieres in DC at the Warner Theatre. Despite being a two-man show, the comedy revolves around 20 characters living in Tuna, Texas. Catch Williams and Sears, clad in dresses, purses and wigs, playing characters such as snotty Vera Carp and dog killer Pearl Burras. In this one, the small-towners hit Sin City.Tickets are $26 to $56. For show times, click here.

Monday, October 26
Halau Ho’omau I ka Wai Ola O Hawai’i! Find out what that means at the National Theatre’s Hawaiian Celebration, a night dedicated to the 50th state’s 50th birthday. Dancers, directed by Suz and Manu Ikaika, will perform both ancient and modern hula routines to Hawaiian music and chants. The show starts at 6 in the Helen Hayes Gallery, and free tickets are available 30 minutes before the show on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tuesday, October 27
A staple Washington event, the High Heel Race takes place in DC’s Dupont Circle the Tuesday before Halloween. Spectators gather on 17th Street between P and S streets, Northwest, to watch drag queens and other participants show off their outrageous outfits and teach onlookers a thing or two about running in heels. The race kicks off at 9, but bring your camera around 6—racers usually gather early for photo ops.

Wednesday, October 28
Poets Barbara Goldberg and Brian Brodeur come together at the Kensington Row Bookshop (3786 Howard Ave., Kensington; 301-949-9416) for a reading. Goldberg has published four books, coedited two anthologies, and won two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships. Brodeur, a resident of Fairfax, has authored Other Latitudes and So the Night Cannot Go Without Us and runs the blog How a Poem Happens. The event starts at 7 and is followed by an open reading in which attendees can present one poem no longer than a page.