Every branch of the military, seen here at our annual May Fair Parade, is deserving of honor and recognition on Veterans Day, November 11. Photo by Debra Dingman

DIXON, CA (MPG) - There are about 18 million Veterans living among us, in every state and territory and from every walk of life. But since a lot of veterans won’t particularly stand out on Veterans Day, it may be difficult to thank them for their service and for helping to provide the rest of us freedom and opportunity.

What few of us may know, though, is that there is one time all Americans — veterans or not — are called on Veterans Day wherever they are to take a 2-minute moment of silence. For Pacific Standard Time, that would be 10:11 a.m. That was signed into law in 2016 by President Obama and it is called the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act.

You can also attend the Veterans Day Parade and Commemoration on Saturday, November 11, in downtown Fairfield. “Saluting America’s Veterans” will begin at 10 a.m. with a commemoration ceremony and concert at the downtown theater. It is sponsored by Fairfield/Suisun City and the American Legion Reams Post 182. The parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. along Texas Street. 

Veterans Day is one of those holidays that never changes dates, and that is because of the significance of the actual date that ended the “war of all wars.” Although the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, the actual fighting had ceased seven months earlier, and the Allied nations and Germany had an armistice — or a temporary cessation of hostilities — according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The original concept was for a day observed with parades and half-day operations of businesses. On June 4, 1926, the United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I with a concurrent resolution that read:

“Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far-reaching war in human annals, and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed.”

Armistice Day was to honor Veterans of World War I after yet another World War ended, the resolution was amended in 1938 changing the word “Armistice” to “Veterans” to honor all Veterans for their loyal service. Later, in1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day and called upon Americans everywhere to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a presidential order directing the head of the Veterans Administration (now the Department of Veterans Affairs) to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. 

That Committee oversees the national ceremony held at Arlington Cemetery with a color guard made up of each branch of the military to give honor to all who served. They place a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier and a bugle solemnly sounds Taps.

We hope citizens everywhere will remember that freedom is not free; that all gave some and some gave all