The origins of Veterans Day can be traced to the ending of World War I nearly a century ago. Known at the time as “The Great War,” World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France. But the fighting had actually ended seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allies and Germany went into effect on Nov. 11, 1918.
The following November United States President Woodrow Wilson declared Nov. 11 “Armistice Day” in honor of the cessation of the hostilities, and the day became a federal holiday in 1938.
That act was amended in 1954 after veterans service organizations, in recognition of the efforts of soldiers who fought in World War II, asked that the day be renamed “Veterans Day” so it honored all soldiers, not just those who fought in World War I.
VETERANS DAY PARADE | The largest Veterans Day Parade in the country begins on Fri., Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. at the Eternal Light Monument (Fifth Ave. at W. 24th St., next to Madison Square Park). Starting at approximately 11:15 a.m., the Parade proceeds up Fifth Ave., from 26th to 52nd St. For more info, visit americasparade.org.
ANNUAL CHELSEA VETERANS DAY MEMORIAL CEREMONY | After 2014’s successful revival of a decades-old tradition (for the first time since the 1960s), you are once again invited to join in paying tribute to veterans, active duty members of the military, National Guard members and reservists. State Senator Brad Hoylman (whose office is providing the wreath) will attend, along with Auxiliary Officers of the 10th Precinct. The ceremony takes place in front of a 14-foot-tall granite stele, on which a bronze World War I soldier is displayed. What came to be known as The Chelsea Doughboy was installed on April 7, 1921.
Rain or shine at 10 a.m. on Fri., Nov. 11. Meet on the west side of Ninth Ave. (btw. W. 27th & W. 28th Sts.). The Ceremony will last approximately 15 minutes. For more info on the history of the statue, visit nycgovparks.org/parks/chelsea-park/monuments/232.
INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM ANNUAL VETERANS DAY CEREMONY | Veterans numbering into the hundreds — including former crew members of the USS Intrepid — attend this annual tribute. Rear Admiral John F. Weigold, IV (Reserve Deputy Commander, US Pacific Fleet) and representatives from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will make remarks, followed by a wreath laying in the Hudson River in honor of United States veterans and former crew members of the Intrepid.
From 3:30–4:30 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 11, at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Pier 86; W. 46th St. & 12th Ave.). The pier ceremony is free, and open to the public. For more info, call 212-245-0072 or visit intrepidmuseum.org.
FOR HELP AND RESOURCES
GI Rights Hotline: 877-447-4487
Veterans Crisis Line: 800-273-8255
Manhattan Vet Center: 212-742-9591
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America | iava.org | 212-982-9699
NYC Office of Veterans Affairs | nyc.gov/html/vets | 212-442-4171
New York Regional Office of Veterans’ Affairs | veterans.ny.gov | 800-827-1000
Paralyzed Veterans of America | pva.org | 212-807-3114
The Soldiers Project | thesoldiersproject.org | 877-769-7438
Vietnam Veterans of America | vva126.org | 212-349-1895
