Veterans Day In Grosse Pointe: How To Honor Military Personnel

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, MI — The War Memorial at 32 Lake Shore in Grosse Pointe Farms, will host multiple Veteran's Day events.

Taps will be played and rubbings of the names on plaques in the entryway can be created at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Free coffee and pastries will be available in the Tannahill Reception Room inside the Alger House from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (313) 881-7511.

There will also be free heart screenings from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., in which an appointment will be needed by calling 248-0505-5597.

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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.