You see them everywhere: in the supermarket, at your favorite place to dine on weekends, sitting in front of you in the movie theatre. Some of them are easily identifiable, sporting an iconic navy blue hat with the word “veteran” branded across it in golden rod yellow, the name of the war in which they served written above it. Others go by unnoticed, blending in with civilians, their uniforms long retired.
This Sunday, November 11th is Veterans Day – the day the United States has designated for honoring all former military personnel, whether living or deceased, for their dedication and loyal service. It is a moment to thank, appreciate, and remember that which often goes unspoken about: our troops’ defense of the nation.
Though it was President Eisenhower who signed a bill into office in 1954 declaring November 11th of every year as Veterans Day, the concept emerged in 1947, when Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama organized a “Veterans Day” parade. The purpose of the public procession, of course, was to honor all American vets for the time they spent serving our military branches. In order to assure the observance of Veterans Day, when Eisenhower put forth his bill for the holiday, he also issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration (now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs) to create a Veterans Day National committee.
A part of that national commemoration is the Veterans Day National Ceremony, which takes place in the Arlington National Cemetery at exactly 11:00 am every year with a color guard made up of members from all of the military branches. The President or his representative is always in attendance, dutifully placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as Taps sounds in the background. This tradition has become one of the symbolic representations of veteran remembrance in our nation.
As suppliers of military troops with our weapons, tactical, electronic, and footlocker cases, Advanced Packaging would like to reach out and thank all of our veterans who have served in the wars of America’s past: we appreciate your service.
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