Cheshire’s annual Veteran’s Day ceremony honoring the men and women who have served in America’s armed forces will be held on the Green on Friday, November 11 at 11 a.m. The ceremony is sponsored by the Cheshire Veterans Council, which consists of American Legion Post 92, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10052, the Army Air Force Round Table and the AmVets.
This year’s speakers are Cheshire student John O’Reilly, Tom Duhig and John White. O’Reilly, a Cheshire High School senior, will speak about student support for veterans and especially how CHS students will honor World War Two veterans on December 7, Pearl Harbor Day. Duhig, a Marine Vietnam veteran, will tell about his experience in Vietnam and his tour of duty as part of the White House guard. White, a Navy Vietnam veteran, will speak about World War Two and the role of veterans as models for young people.
A parade of color guards—veterans, the Police and Fire Departments, and Girl and Boy Scouts—will open the ceremony. A wreath will be placed at the Civil War monument on the Green. Members of the Cheshire High School VIP Chorus will sing the National Anthem and “America the Beautiful.” The ceremony will last about half an hour.
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Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day; it celebrated the end of World War One. The peace accord was signed and the guns fell silent at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. After the Korean War, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to include the veterans of all wars. So annually, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, America honors those who served in the military to protect our nation.
Last year about 200 people attended the ceremony. The Veterans Council hopes for an even larger crowd this year and urges Cheshire residents to come to the Green at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day. “If you value your freedom as Americans,” the Council states, “you can thank veterans for protecting that. Please be there to show you care.”
