Veterans Day 2009

Next Wednesday is Veterans Day 2009. To make the day meaningful for your kids, below are some ideas for how to spend the day together.

The history of Veterans Day

Veterans Day is a great day to talk to your children about war and the price of freedom that so many have paid on our behalf.

As for the founding of Veterans Day, World War I officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919 but fighting has ended back on November 11, 1918 when the armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect (eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month). For that reason, November 11, 1918, is actually considered the end of “the war to end all wars.”

President Woodrow Wilson named November 11, 1919 the first commemoration of “Armistice Day” with the quote: “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 is now both a federal and a state holiday.

Attending a Veterans Day Event

There are Veterans Day events throughout the country and just doing a web search for your town/city should turn up a parade or event you can attend with your family. Some of the biggest events include:

Washington DC: The national Veterans Day event happen at Arlington National Cemetery at 11am with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If you do plan on attending the event, please get there early. Gates open at 8am.

New York City has a large Veterans Day parade you can attend.

Freebies for Veterans on Veterans Day

Veterans also get treated to some freebies on Veterans Day. You can check out the website of the department of veterans service in your state to see what companies are offering treats to Veterans Day in your area this year.

Here is the Massachusetts list

Notable Veterans Day Quotes

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."  ~Elmer Davis

"Freedom is never free."  ~Author Unknown

 "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy