Honoring Our Veterans, Past & Present
Honoring Our Veterans, Past & Present
Attend a Parade, Write a Letter, Spend Time with a Veteran, Hear Their Stories… There Are Many Way to Honor Them this Veteran’s Day
The Cattaraugus County Museum shares the stories of (above, L-R) Harold Nick Maker (Navy), Julie Armstrong (Air Force), Joseph Keary (Army) and others as well.
November is here. Thanksgiving comes to mind as the last vestiges of Halloween exit and we find ways to settle into the upcoming winter months. What sometimes gets lost in that calendar shuffle is Veteran’s Day, particularly when it lands on a weekend and there is no day off attached to it for anyone who is not a federal worker.
We’ve been honoring our veterans in the fall since World War I, or The Great War… you know, the one famous for its Christmas truce and soccer games in no man’s land between the two enemies in frozen trenches in Belgium. Reading the history, it’s interesting and humorous to note that the Scots who were involved wore their kilts into battle. During the hustle of the game, the amused Germans discovered that the Scots were indeed going commando and so noted in their letters home. This happened in 1914 and perhaps served as an example for the 1918 armistice, or truce, to end the hostilities which was agreed upon at 11:00am on November 11th (11/11/11).
Even though the Treaty of Versailles was signed seven months later, which formally ended one of the deadliest wars in history in that time (over 16 million people died), it was November 11th that the weary public remembered as the day that ended the disastrous war. It became known as “Armistice Day,” and in 1919 President Woodrow Wilson designated 11/11 as the first commemoration of the holiday with parades, celebrations, public gatherings and a short pause of school and business activities at 11:00am. It became an annual national holiday by congressional resolution in 1926.
Communities across America made a pretty big deal of Armistice Day. Remember, Veteran’s Day is for both living veterans and veterans who have passed on. So, we remember and honor, or celebrate, those veterans still with us. As a child in Sloan, NY, I attended ceremonies with my family and did so until I moved into my own home in another town as a married woman. My father was a veteran, having served for 18 years of his life, and my mom belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary. Of course, we attended. This celebration honored servicepersons like my dad who came home after serving in WWII wartime in the South Pacific, meeting me for the first time when I was two years old.
I remember it being called Armistice Day, and then the name being changed to Veteran’s Day in 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to honor all veterans, not just those from WWI. As with such things, more changes were to come because of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed in 1968 designating Veteran’s Day to be observed on the fourth Monday in October. Well, that caused confusion and disapproval, with many states continuing to celebrate on November 11, regardless. To end the confusion and bring everyone on the same page, President Gerald Ford signed a law returning the observation of Veteran’s Day to November 11 starting in 1978. So now, as with most other holidays, if Veteran’s Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the federal government observes the holiday on the previous Friday or the following Monday. Veteran’s Day 2023 observances in Cattaraugus County are scheduled for Friday, November 10, 2023. County offices will be closed in observance of Veteran’s Day. Post offices will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 11, and the Postal Service will not deliver regular mail or packages on that date.
HONORING OUR VETERANS
Pictured: CRCF Executive Director, Karen Niemic Buchheit and Advisor to the Fund, Kathy Moore stand at the site of the Veterans Wall of Honor memorial, located in War Veterans Park, Olean, NY.
Cattaraugus County has a long and proud history of military service. Our cemeteries are final resting places for local heroes from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars to the present. The WWI and WWII Veteran’s display at the Museum in Machias has been removed but they invite those persons interested in our veterans to watch the stories gathered from local veterans (Emil Ash, Norm Marsh, Gary Pence and many others). These stories narrated by the veterans can be found at www.CattCo.org/Veterans-Stories. You an also access “Our Veterans, Their Stories” on the Cattaraugus County Museum’s YouTube channel. The Museum continues to display their large and well curated display of Revolutionary and Civil War uniforms, artifacts, and memorabilia. The museum is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00am-4:00pm. They are located at The Stone House (next to the Pines Nursing Home) at 9824 Route 16 in Machias.
During this National Native American Heritage month, it is a good time to remember and honor those Native Americans, including the tens of thousands of American Indians, Alaska and Hawaiian Natives who served willingly in the United States Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War. The story of the Navajo Code Talkers may be the best-known part of the history of Native American military service. It was said by a WWII signal officer from 5th Marine Division that “without the Native Americans, their ability to take Iwo Jima would not have been possible.” Imagine, by using a language they were forbidden to use as children in American-run boarding schools, thousands of American lives were saved. Ironic, isn’t it? In many Native American communities, ceremonies are held for those Natives entering the armed forces and when they return. Native American veterans are treated with honor and respect in their Native communities. We could learn from them. Today more than 183,000 veterans identify as American Indian or Alaska Native.
LOCAL PARADES AND CEREMONIES
Wherever you live, please check with your local American Legion or VFW to find if they are sponsoring a parade or a ceremony in honor of their local veterans. The Ellicottville American Legion will be holding a Veteran’s Day ceremony at the gazebo in front of the Town Hall on Saturday, November 11th at 11:00am. In Springville, a ceremony will be held at the Village Park on Saturday at 11:00am, followed by a lunch for Vets at the local American Legion at 109 Zoar Valley Road and another gathering later that day at the Springville VFW, 650 Main Street. In Salamanca, you are invited to participate in a walk to help prevent veteran suicide - Stop 22 Suicide Awareness Walk. The service begins at 11:00am with registration for the walk at noon and walk commencing at 1:00pm. A free picnic will follow for those who contributed at John Fahrens Post, 61 Wildwood Street.
The nation’s largest Veteran’s Day event, the New York City Veteran’s Day Parade, hosted by the United War Veterans Council, returns for its 104th year on Saturday, November 11, 2023 with nearly 20,000 participants from across the U.S. marching up Fifth Avenue. The event will take place rain or shine from 9:30am-12:30pm and will be live-streamed on military.com.
Know a vet? Invite them to go fishing. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is hosting a FREE fishing day on November 11th. There’s no fishing license required on those days for the fresh or marine waters of New York State, making it the opportune time for people of all ages to enjoy the day.
Allegany is holding a Veteran's Day craft show on the 11th with over 25 different vendors at the 4th and Maple Complex, North 4th Street. Take a vet and go crafting!
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware on 5085 Transit Road in Buffalo is sponsoring “Turn a pen for a vet” from 1:30-3:00pm. You must register to join them for a special Veteran’s Day event and turn a wooden pen for $15. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Help Heal Veterans organization. You don’t need any experience, but having done this myself, I can assure you it is fun and rewarding to walk out with a pen made of wood that you turned yourself. You will learn the how-tos hands-on and can take home your very own custom-made pen. The $15 fee covers everything. Call 716-631-8922 for an appointment. And here’s the deal: if their appointments are full, make an appointment for another day and take a friend who is a vet for a fun day, then treat them to a stop at the Transit Road Anchor Bar for original chicken wings or Ted’s for one of their famous hot dogs. Either one is just down the road on your way back to Ellicottville. Yum!
Since 9/11, t2t (Towers to Towers) has been helping America’s heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. They are also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001. Go to their website, t2t.org and find out how you can become involved. Another project supporting vets is Support the Wounded Warrior Project. Learn more about them at support.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Most veterans do not think of themselves as heroes, but they are. Call a vet and tell them how much they are appreciated and why. Many vets are homeless or have no family with whom to spend this special day. Why not invite them to your home for a cook-out or comforting home-cooked meal (perhaps Thanksgiving?) to show them how much they are appreciated. Ask them to tell you their stories, giving them your total attention and appreciation.
If you are unable to bring anyone to your home, send them a handwritten note saying “thank you for your service.” Offer to make a date to spend time with them. Find out if they have an organization that is special to them and donate in their name.
Put a message on your social media pages wishing them a happy Veteran's Day, expressing your appreciation for every person who has served our country.
Are you an employer? Follow this example that I recently found on Quora on the internet: It featured a photo of a man with a dog and the following caption: “This is a retired vet who struggled to get a job because he needs his service dog! Abilene Lowes hired them BOTH!!" Kudos to them and many thanks for the fine example.
Happy Veteran’s Day to all veterans sent with love and gratitude for their part in keeping our beloved America free.