It's always Happy Veterans Day, It's NEVER happy Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, we remember the ones that have fallen. On Veterans Day, we thank the ones that made it home. U.S.N. 64 - 68
My deepest gratitude to all Veterans, Past and Present, who have served this great country of ours !!
God Bless America and those that fought to keep her free!! I want to thank all the Vets out there for their service and I want to send my support and never ending appreciation for those that continue the fight!!
Attended a service at VFW Post 676 in Pennsylvania this morning...then went to the retirement home where my daughter works to present the veterans there with a small party cake and flags...now going to Applebee's with my wife ( SM USA CID retired ) to meet up with some of our Army buddies for a late lunch. If you really want to honor Veterans...get out among them and help them...whatever you can do !! Here are a few links to organizations we, as a family, work with through out the year... http://operationfirstresponse.org/ http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/give-back.aspx
“TO HONOR VETERANS OF ALL WARS” Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama, organized a Veterans Day parade for that city on November 11, 1947, to honor all of America's Veterans for their loyal service. Later, U.S. Representative Edward H. Rees of Kansas proposed legislation changing the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all who have served in America’s Armed Forces. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. In addition to fulfilling that mission, the committee oversees the annual production and distribution of the annual Veterans Day poster and this Teacher Resource Guide. In 1968, Congress moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. However, it became apparent that the November 11th date was historically significant to a great many Americans. As a result, Congress formally returned the observance of Veterans Day to its traditional date in 1978. The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. At 11 a.m., a color guard, made up of members from each of the military services, renders honors to America's war dead during a tradition-rich ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb and a bugler sounds “Taps.” The balance of the ceremony, including a "Parade of Flags" by numerous Veterans service organizations, takes place inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb. In addition to planning and coordinating the National Veterans Day Ceremony, the Veterans Day National Committee supports a number of Veterans Day Regional Sites. These sites conduct Veterans Day celebrations that provide excellent examples for other communities to follow. For a listing of these sites, please visit: www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/regsites.asp.
