Veterans Day 2021: Loudoun County To Honor Military Personnel

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County will be honoring the nation's veterans on Thursday, Nov. 11 at a series of events across the county.

In Leesburg, county officials will rededicate a World War I Memorial, while Loudoun County Public Schools will recognize the 211 veterans working in the school division and thank family and community members for their service at special events hosted by county schools.

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.

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.

On Thursday, Loudoun County will unveil a new plaque at the World War I Memorial containing an integrated list of all veterans from Loudoun County who died during their service in the war.

The ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Veterans Day at the memorial, located on the Loudoun County courthouse grounds in Leesburg. Participants will include representatives of local veterans and community organizations, the Loudoun County Foreign War Memorial Trust Fund Advisory Committee, and members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.

The memorial bears a plaque with the names of 30 Loudoun County service members who fought and died in World War I. When the memorial was erected in 1921, during the “Jim Crow” era, the names were segregated according to race, with the names of three Black service members listed below two dividing lines that separated them from the names of the white service members.

On July 1, 2020, a new law took effect in Virginia permitting local governing bodies to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover monuments or memorials for veterans of any war or conflict. The Board of Supervisors, with the support of the Foreign War Memorial Trust Fund Advisory Committee, authorized the replacement of the plaque to integrate the list of service members.

The advisory committee, composed of local veterans, members of American Legion Post 34, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1177, and chaired by retired Judge Thomas Horne, expressed their support for this project.

The new plaque is identical to the original, but integrates, in alphabetical order, the names of those who served. The county’s Department of General Services assisted the advisory committee with the production and installation of the new plaque.

LCPS To Host Veterans Day Ceremonies

Loudoun County Public Schools plans to hold several special events and activities on Thursday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, to recognize those who have served in the U.S. military. Below are some of the LCPS programs honoring veterans:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Buffalo Trail Elementary

Buffalo Trail has invited veterans and Buffalo Trail students to an in-person socially distanced showing of a film assembled by students. Veterans will receive gifts of appreciation and have their pictures and bios featured on the Wall of Honor in the school foyer.

Cedar Lane Elementary

Cedar Lane will hold a virtual celebration honoring veterans. Members of the student body will perform patriotic songs, share essays and the students have been invited to wear red, white and blue to honor those who have served and are currently serving. A video will be shared with the Cedar Lane community so they can also recognize veterans.

Eagle Ridge Elementary

Eagle Ridge has invited active and retired duty parents and grandparents to come to the school for a presentation and to spend time with their students. Staff have recorded some of their memories of service and plan to share them school-wide.

Emerick Elementary

Emerick will share a video featuring parents and grandparents who served in the U.S. military. The video includes a performance of patriotic songs sung by all grade levels.

Evergreen Mill Elementary

Evergreen Mill will hold a virtual event featuring U.S. Navy Officer Jamie Doyle as the keynote speaker. Following the event, parents who served in the U.S. military are invited to participate in a Veterans Day Car Parade.

Frances Hazel Reid Elementary

Frances Hazel Reid has planned a virtual celebration with each second grade classroom singing a different military anthem. Each anthem will be accompanied by pictures of family members that served in the U.S. military.

Goshen Post Elementary

Goshen Post will share a virtual performance for the community on Veterans Day. The performance will be posted to the Goshen Post website for families to be able to view.

Hillsboro Charter Academy

Hillsboro will honor family members and community members who have served in the U.S. military with musical performances. Following the performances, students will take part in a Parade of Honor around the school’s track. Veterans’ pictures and bios will be featured on the school’s Wall of Fame.

Horizon Elementary

Horizon plans to express appreciation to all of the veterans in their community with a special edition version of their Horizon TV morning news show. Families have been invited to submit photos of family members and community members who are active or retired U.S. military.

Hovatter Elementary

Hovatter has planned a virtual Veterans Day parade hosted by the school’s music teachers. Families have been invited to submit photos of family members and community members who are active or retired U.S. military to be included in the virtual parade.

Liberty Elementary

Liberty's virtual Veterans Day assembly will include a sing-along of the "Armed Forces Medley" and the "Star-Spangled Banner." It will feature a picture slideshow of family members and staff who served or are currently serving in the U.S. military. Students in each grade level will sing patriotic songs.

Lincoln Elementary

Lincoln Elementary will share a virtual slideshow featuring family members, neighbors and friends who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military.

Little River Elementary

Little River Elementary plans to welcome veterans to the building where they will travel around the building sharing stories about their experiences in the armed services. Students will be given the opportunity to ask questions as well.

Newton Lee Elementary

Newton Lee students’ Veterans Day celebration will center around the book, "America’s White Table." Student leaders will read the book aloud as part of a special announcement. The fourth graders will also sing patriotic songs and record them as part of a special video “concert” for Veteran’ Day. In Art class, each student will create a small piece of art that symbolizes what Veterans Day means to them or create a piece of art that thanks a veteran. Their art will be displayed for the school community to see.

Pinebrook Elementary

High school students will welcome Pinebrook Elementary students into the building with renditions of several patriotic songs. Pinebrook is also hosting parents, grandparents, friends of the students and staff of Pinebrook for a Veterans Day ceremony.

Rosa Lee Carter Elementary

Rosa Lee Carter is preparing a virtual ceremony featuring songs, letters, poems and artwork from every grade level in the school.

Sycolin Creek Elementary

Sycolin Creek has created an asynchronous Veterans Day celebration that will be shared with families on Thursday. The presentation will include a greeting from the principal, songs and artwork from our students, as well as student-led interviews and speeches.

Waxpool Elementary

Waxpool is planning to hold a flag ceremony outside the school for all students and special guests. Students will lead the Pledge of Allegiance followed by students performing our National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner. All students are invited to share photos of a family member who is serving or has served in the U.S. military. Photos will be displayed on the Waxpool Wall of Fame.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Belmont Ridge Middle

Belmont Ridge is showing a Veterans Day slideshow to students featuring family members who are serving or have served in the U.S. military.

Brambleton Middle

Brambleton will host a breakfast for veteran families before holding a flag raising ceremony. Students will participate in special activities throughout the day and will contribute to a “hand” gratitude mural for veterans. Staff will each receive an American flag pin to wear.

Eagle Ridge Middle

Eagle Ridge has invited active and retired duty parents and grandparents to come for a presentation and to spend time with their child. As a part of this presentation, Eagle Ridge plans to record some of their memories of service and share them with students.

J. Michael Lunsford Middle

J. Michael Lunsford will host a ceremony to honor service members. Following the ceremony, Veterans will speak with students about their experiences and students will have the opportunity to thank them for their service.

Smart’s Mill Middle

Smart’s Mill is planning to provide lunch to parents, guardians, siblings, relatives of students that have served in the armed forces or are currently serving. Smart’s Mill plans to celebrate their service and share pictures on social media and the school’s website, recognizing each of them.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Lightridge High

Light Ridge High will recognize the military veterans in their community and those on staff with a musical performance from band students in the auditorium. Following the band performance, veterans will be provided breakfast. The Red Cross Club plans to make thank you cards and distribute them to the veterans in attendance.

Loudoun County High

Loudoun County will hold its annual program honoring community and staff veterans with performances from the NJROTC teams.

Loudoun Valley High

Loudoun Valley will host several performances throughout the day featuring the Wind Ensemble, Chamber and Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus. In addition to a performance for students during the school day, the ensembles will hold two performances in the evening in the auditorium.

Woodgrove High

Woodgrove plans to hold a Veterans Day program for all students which focuses on honoring and remembering General Colin Powell. The Students Assisting Veterans Club (S.A.V.) have compiled pictures and details of staff members and their immediate family members who are/were veterans and will put the information in a slideshow that will broadcast during the video morning announcements and run on the hallway TVs throughout the building on Veterans Day.

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