Veterans Day In Rochester Hills: How To Honor Military Personnel

ROCHESTER-ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — Although the post office and most banks will be closed in Rochester Hills on Thursday in observance of Veterans Day, there are several ways you can honor veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

• Oakland University’s Veterans Week is Nov. 8 to Nov. 11. Join fellow veterans, community members, campus students and staff for events designed to inspire, support, and commemorate those who served. All events are free and are at various campus locations. For more information, call 248-370-2010 or email vss@oakland.edu or visit oakland.edu/veterans.
• The Rochester American Legion Post 172 Auxiliary will host a free Veterans Day Breakfast, 7-9 a.m. Nov. 11, at The Rochester Community House, 816 Ludlow St., Rochester. Veterans and the public are invited. For more information, call Terri Williams at 248-651-8137.
• The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm to host a Veterans Day Program from 7-8 p.m. Nov. 11, at 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills. Local Historian Jim Craft will present “The American Army in Normandy from Omaha Beach to the Falaise Gap.” Free for veterans and museum members, $8 public adult, $5 public senior/student. Register at rochesterhills.org/musprograms.

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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.