Veterans’ Day, which is celebrated each year on Nov, 11, honors the men and women who have served in the United States armed services.

Although we tend to think of it as an American holiday it began as an international observance marking the end of World Ward I in 1918, when on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, in the eleventh month, the allies accepted Germany’s surrender and an Armistice was signed to end “the war to end all wars.”

A year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as Armistice Day not only to honor those who served, but also to remind Americans of the tragedies of war.  In 1938, Congress made Armistice Day a federal holiday.

In 1953, the people of Emporia, Kansas, called the holiday Veteran Day, in gratitude to the sacrifices made by those who served.  In 1954, the name was changed nationally from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all United States veterans.

In honor of Veteran Day, special services are held each year at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., where four unidentified servicemen, one each from World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, are interred, and where members of the 3^rd U.S. Infantry (the old Guard) stand vigil 24 hours a day throughout the year.

At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, the official national Veterans Day ceremonies begin at the Tomb when a combined color guard representing all the services executes “Present Arms” at the Tomb.  This is followed by the laying of a presidential wreath.  The bugler than plays “taps.”

People also gather at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Veterans Day to place notes and gifts at the “Wall”.

This year the community of Big Pine will honor their veterans starting with the distribution of flags on the veterans’ headstone on November 11 in Crocker Cemetery at 8:00 and Woodman Cemetery at 8:30. The Big Pine American Legion Glacier Unit 457 will host a Veterans’ Day service starting at 11:00 at the Veterans’ Memorial on the corner of Highways 395 and 168.  Music will be provided by Stan Smith and Dan Daugherty and the High Sierra Chorus.  Guest speaker will be Angi Nwally Eddy, E-6 Army veteran and master of ceremony will be by Inyo County Service Office Gordon Greene, a Navy hospital corpsman veteran.  High school students will read biographies of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones and Master Sergeant Isaac George.

The day will conclude with a potluck dinner hosted by the Big Pine Civic Club starting at 5:30 which will include Big Pine’s famous Pumpkin Pie Contest all to honor our veterans.