Happy Veterans Day America! Let's give thanks to all our veterans and families November 11

Happy Veterans Day America!

Veterans Day honors those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11th.

 “Courage – Honoring All Who Served”  is the Veterans Day theme this year. 

Veterans Day coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Thank you to all of our Veterans and families.

The United States originally observed Armistice Day and it was renamed to Veterans Day holiday in 1954.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day as November 11, 1919.

Seven years later, the United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution (June 4, 1926), and requested that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11th.
Photo right of soldier with folded American flag courtesy of wikimedia.



I was fortunate to receive this interesting article from one of my dearest cousins about my late father and his 3 brothers(total 7 brothers, 1 sister) who served during World War II.

Coincidentally, major hostilities of World War I formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.


Do you plan on doing anything this Veterans Day?


Many celebrate with family and friends, and there are so many special ways to celebrate.

For example, sharing photos of loved ones who have served in the armed forces (I've just done that via the photo above), posting to your social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, blogs, etc. Also the traditional VD Parades, especially in New York City.
Photo below right of bald eagle courtesy of wikimedia.

Parades are wonderful especially for children. Being creative with children is also an excellent way to help them learn about history and Veterans Day. Have them read various periodicals (e.g., books, newspapers, magazines, internet, photos of soldiers, etc.) and ask them to draw pictures of various images that remind them of Veterans Day such as our American flag, relatives in uniform, Veterans Day Memorials, and our national emblem, the bald eagle. And you can also enjoy the parade at home with family by watching it on TV live or online  ~ Watch the Parade!

If you happen to be in New York City, there's always the Veterans Day Parade, this year, the theme is “Honor and Remember, Home of the Brave” commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II and the 25th Anniversary of Desert Shield. Organized in New York since 1929 by the United War Veterans Council (UWVC) this parade is the largest Veterans Day event in the nation with over 25,000 parade participants, and this year marks the 87th year! 

The wreath laying ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at the Eternal Flame in Madison Square Park (located in the Flat Iron district of New York City) and the parade begins at 11:25 a.m. and ends 3:30 p.m.


Photo below left of Aviation High School at Madison Square Park during the NYC Veterans Day Parade courtesy of wikimedia.

The parade goes up Fifth Avenue, from 26th to 52nd Street. The route is 1.3 miles (approx. a 35 minute walk).

The Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are also represented.

If you can't be there, you can still see the parade live at PIX11 ~ America's Parade to Air on PIX11



Resources:
▼   Visit this link and share the 2015 Veterans Day Teaser Poster http://americasparade.org/share-the-2015-teaser-poster/
▼   America's Parade to Air on PIX11 http://americasparade.org/pix11-to-air-americas-parade/
▼   Veterans Day 2014: Deals on meals for military personnel, New York Daily News,
▼   Veterans Day Parade in New York City,About Travel,
▼   America's Parade in New York City,About Travel
▼   Veterans Day Parade information on Wikipedia
▼   Office of Public Affairs http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

This is a reporting of a previous VD post with updates. Please bookmark this blog and share this with your social media and other networks. Thanks.