Veterans Day In Oak Creek: How To Honor Military Personnel

OAK CREEK, WI — The post office and most banks will be closed in Oak Creek on Thursday in observance of Veterans Day, a federal holiday that honors veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

In years past in Oak Creek, there have been ceremonies on Veterans Day. This year, there are several ways veterans are being honored in and around Oak Creek.

Several businesses will be handing out discounts and even free meals to veterans on Thursday.

Service members also have to opportunity to attend a ceremony at the Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center at Oak Creek High School on Thursday. The District posted on Facebook Tuesday there are seats available for veterans. More information on the ceremony is available here

For those looking to attend a ceremony on Veterans Day, there will be one hosted in neighboring Franklin on Thursday. A parade has also been planned at South Milwaukee High School. The parade starts at 1:45 p.m. rain or shine and can be watched from along 15th Avenue, between Maple Street and Oak Creek Parkway, School District of South Milwaukee posted on Facebook.

The ceremony in Franklin, sponsored by AMVETS Post 60, plans to bring speakers, quilts of honor and a rifle salute, according to the City's website.

The program is planned to take place at the Franklin Public Library, 9151 W. Loomis Road. Planned speakers include Franklin Mayor Steve Olson, Retired USAF Colonel Ann Knabe and AMVETS Post 60 Commander Jean Ruka.

A number of quilts of honor will be presented to veterans in honor of their service at the program. A POW/MIA presentation is also planned to take place. A rifle salute by the Franklin Police Department is planned and Taps will be played, according to the City of Franklin's website.
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.