Manchester To Honor Military At Veterans Day Ceremony

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township will honor those who have served in the armed forces during the township's Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday.

The ceremony is set for 11 a.m. at the municipal building, 1 Colonial Drive.

Veterans Day got its start as Armistice Day, when Presiden Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11, 1919 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, which marked the anniversary of the armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The armistice had begun at the "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month," and led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919 outside Versailles, France.

For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In proclaiming Armistice Day, Wilson said: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations …"

Veterans Day continues to be observed on Nov. 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls, to honor the historical significance of the date and honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good, the VA website said.