Veterans Day In Baltimore County: How To Honor Military Personnel

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Veterans Day, a federal holiday that honors veterans of the U.S. armed forces, falls on Thursday this year. Veterans Day, commemorated annually on Nov. 11, was first celebrated in 1919 to honor those who fought in World War I. It was initially called Armistice Day and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

The holiday’s 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 following 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.

While some ceremonies, parades and services may be canceled or altered as the coronavirus pandemic continues, 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.

You can celebrate by participating in the MCVET 5K/10K Veterans Day Virtual Run and Walk, which helps raise funds to support the homeless and other veterans in need. Other events across Maryland Thursday will be:

• 9 a.m. to noon at the War Memorial Building, 101 North Gay Street, Baltimore, MD
• 11 a.m. at the Crownsville Veterans Cemetery, 1122 Sunrise Beach Road, Crownsville, MD
• 11 a.m. at the Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery, 11501 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, MD
• 11 a.m. at the World War II Memorial, 1920 Ritchie Highway (Rt. 450 at Naval Academy Bridge), Annapolis, MD
• 11 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 2825 South Hanover Street (Middle Branch Park), Baltimore, MD
• 1:30 p.m. at the Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery, 6827 East New Market Ellwood Road, Hurlock, MD
• 2 p.m. at the Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery, 14205 Pleasant Valley Road, NE, Flintstone, MD