How To Honor War Heroes On Veterans Day In Sandy Springs

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Veterans Day, a federal holiday, is held yearly on Nov. 11. It honors all American veterans and military.

The City of Sandy Springs will pay tribute to its Veterans with a specially created video presentation at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day at spr.gs/veteransday and features six veterans with local ties sharing what called them to service and heartfelt moments and experiences from their military experience. These brave members of our Armed Forces go back from World War II to the present.

“While we had hoped to celebrate our honored veterans in person this year, as in years past, the health and safety of the community make a fully-digital program the most responsible option,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said. “It was important that this tradition of honoring our service members continue.”

“The current pandemic restrictions have limited our traditional events, but we are excited to have this opportunity to focus on a different type of tribute. Storytelling through a video tribute just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Shaun Albrechtson, Executive Director of Create Sandy Springs.

The digital tribute will remain available for viewing throughout the year at spr.gs/veteransday.

Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was created at the end of World War I to recognize those who fought in “the war to end all wars,” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Its origin is tied to the armistice, a temporary end of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany signed in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

It became Veterans Day in 1954, shortly after the end of the Korean War and less than a decade after World War II, after various veterans service organizations urged Congress to encompass veterans of all wars in their honor.

With some ceremonies, parades and presentations either canceled or altered in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, restaurants and other businesses will continue to show their appreciation for veterans and active military members.

Applebee’s, Bob Evans and Chili’s Grill and Bar are among the national restaurant chains offering free or discounted meals for veterans on Nov. 11, and 7-Eleven is offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp.

Other places, such as Golden Corral and Eat'n Park, have offers extended throughout November.

Veterans Day is somewhat related to, and sometimes mistaken for, Memorial Day, the federal holiday on the final Monday of May that is dedicated to those who have died while serving the United States in war.