Maplewood Veterans, Families To Be Honored At Ceremony Thursday

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood Township will honor local veterans this week in an in-vehicle ceremony that will take place on Thursday.

The 18th annual Veterans Day event will take place at 11 a.m. and will honor Maplewood veterans and their families. The ceremony will take place in the rear lot of the Maplewood Municipal Building, which is located at 574 Valley St.

The event will require all attendees to remain in their vehicles as a way to protect the health and safety of all participants as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Following further safety precautions, the township will not be providing refreshments at this week’s ceremony.

Attendees are asked to drive to the rear parking lot from the entrance that is located off of Park Road. Walking pedestrians are also welcome.

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 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.