Armistice Day was first observed at the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all Veterans who served whether in wartime or peace.
Veterans Day honors all Veterans both living and deceased, whereas Memorial Day honors those who died in military service. A moment of silence is observed at 11:00 a.m. symbolizing the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when World War II ended.
Leon County is one of the entities that honors our Veterans. We have our celebration in October so as not to interfere with the November events. We have hosted our Veterans Day event for about 15 years, and it has been well attended. We usually have the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Cavazos perform with their horse detachment, their ensemble band, and their Color Guard. The Colonel from Fort Cavazos always gives a very inspirational talk to our attendees. We provide lunch and serve our guests and their families at their tables. We also give away about $4,000 worth of door prizes to our Veterans.
In years past, we have had the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and hosted a General Patton impersonator who not only spoke to the Veterans, but also brought several authentic pieces from the General’s Office including a staff car. On one occasion, a woman shared her story of working as a flight attendant on an airplane taking soldiers to and from Vietnam.
For about 15 years, we have conducted a toy donation drive for the 1st Cavalry Division children. We deliver several toys to each child; some of these are youngsters who may not normally receive much for Christmas.
All of these activities are done with donations from very generous people and businesses, and I really believe they look forward to helping.
The 1st Cavalry Division has come to Leon County to help build the VFW post, repair houses, and assist with general cleanup in cemeteries in Leon County. It has been a great relationship, and I really believe that both Leon County and the 1st Cavalry Division respect and appreciate each other.
We have about 1,350 Veterans in our county, and we have only reached about 400 of them. Some we cannot find, and others do not want any help. So, we keep trying different ways to reach them.
I hope each of your counties has a Veterans Service Officer (VSO). The VSO connects Veterans with the services they deserve.
Please join me in remembering the sacrifices of our Veterans, sacrifices that have made our country what it is today. Freedom is not free.