Tom Munds
Like people around the country, many area residents will pause
Nov. 11 during Veterans Day ceremonies honoring those who served in
the military.
Locally, there will be separate ceremonies at the Littleton
World War II memorial at Ketring Park, 6000 S. Gallup St., and at
Fort Logan National Cemetery, 3698 S. Sheridan Blvd. in Denver.
Both ceremonies will be at the traditional time, the 11th hour
of the 11th day of the 11th month — the time of the armistice that
ended World War I in 1918.
The Littleton ceremonies are sponsored by Pat Hannon Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 4666 and George C. Evans American Legion Post
103. Activities include speeches, a wreath-laying ceremony, the
21-gun salute and a bugler playing “Taps.” Littleton Mayor Doug
Clark, Post 103 commander John Palmquist and Post 4666 Commander
Bob Daly are the speakers for the ceremony. Weather permitting, a
flyover by fighter jet is planned.
The ceremonies at Fort Logan National Cemetery are sponsored
annually by District 10, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the VFW
Ladies Auxiliary. The ceremonies are around the main flagpole.
There will be an honor guard. The Veterans Day address will be
given by C. William Jayne, cemetery development coordinator for the
Department of Veterans Affairs and keynote speaker is Brig. Gen
Trulan Eyre, commander of the 140th wing of the Colorado National
Guard.
A ceremonial wreath will be placed on a symbolic headstone,
followed by the traditional 21-gun salute and a bugler playing
Taps. When the Fort Logan ceremony ends, lunch will be served at
Verle Huffman VFW Post 9644, at 2680 W. Hampden Ave.
The nation began honoring veterans in 1926 when Armistice Day
was honored for the first time to remember the event that ended the
World War I and honor those who served. In 1938, it was declared a
national holiday.
In its early history, Armistice Day was focused on honoring
World War I veterans. In the early 1950s, Congressman Edwin Rees of
Kansas proposed changing the name of the holiday to Veterans Day
and making it a time to honor all those who served in the armed
forces. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill,
making Nov. 11 Veterans Day.
