How To Honor War Heroes On Veterans Day In Nashua

Nashua NH

10 November, 2020

4:21 PM

Description

NASHUA, NH — Veterans Day, a federal holiday, is held yearly on Nov. 11. It honors all American veterans and military. In Nashua, city officials announced last week that the annal Veterans Day parade has been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Wreath-laying ceremonies will proceed as planned on Wednesday with members of local veterans' organizations and the Mayor's Veterans Council in attendance. The decision to cancel was made with the health and safety of all potential parade-goers and parade participants in mind, as the city continues to respond to COVID-19 pandemic, city officials announced in a news release last week. Wreath-laying ceremonies are not open to the public, but will be recorded by the city's Community Television Station and aired on local cable access channels. In addition, videos of the wreathlayings will be posted on the city's YouTube channel and later shared on the city's Facebook page, as well as the Facebook page of Mayor Jim Donchess. In addition, The New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery will honor veterans across the state with a virtual ceremony that will be live-streamed on it Facebook page beginning at 11 a.m. Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was created at the end of World War I to recognize those who fought in "the war to end all wars," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Its origin is tied to the armistice, a temporary end of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany signed in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It became Veterans Day in 1954, shortly after the end of the Korean War and less than a decade after World War II, after various veterans service organizations urged Congress to encompass veterans of all wars in their honor. With some ceremonies, parades and presentations either canceled or altered in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, restaurants and other businesses will continue to show their appreciation for veterans and active military members. Applebee's, Bob Evans and Chili's Grill and Bar are among the national restaurant chains offering free or discounted meals for veterans on Nov. 11, and 7-Eleven is offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp. Other places, such as Golden Corral and Eat'n Park, have offers extended throughout November. Veterans Day is somewhat related to, and sometimes mistaken for, Memorial Day, the federal holiday on the final Monday of May that is dedicated to those who have died while serving the United States in war.