Celebrating Veterans Day Around the Chesapeake

Veteran's Day means freedom, sacrifice, and honor for those who served in the military. It also means to give thanks to people who served and with over 1.2M Veterans in the Chesapeake Region, there is plenty of thanks to give.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives for our country but Veterans Day honors all of those who have served the country in war or peace — dead or alive — although it’s largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.

Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I.  World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. The fighting ended about seven months before the treaty when the Allies and Germany put into effect an armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, hence Nov. 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of “the war to end all wars” and dubbed Armistice Day. In 1938, it became an official holiday.

On June 1, 1954, at the urging of veterans service organizations, Congress amended the commemoration by changing the word “armistice” to “veterans” so the day would honor American veterans of all wars.

To celebrate Veterans Day around the Chesapeake Bay Region join these events:

• 2019 Veterans Appreciation Weekend at Breaux Vineyards
• Navy Special Operations Memorial 5k - Virginia Beach on 11/9/2019.
• Veterans Day Weekend Free Concert, Virginia Beach, on 11/9/2019
• Veterans Day Ceremony - Victory Arch, Newport News on 11/11/2019
• Veterans Day Concert Performance, Belcamp on November 9, 2019
  

Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs Ceremonies on November 11, 2019

• World War II Memorial, Annapolis, MD
• Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery
• Crownsville Veterans Cemetery
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Baltimore, MD
• Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery, Hurlock, Maryland

Veterans Day Parades

November 10, 2019

• Brunswick Veterans Day Parade
• Salute to Veterans Parade, La Plata

November 11, 2019

• Veterans Day Parade in Leonardtown
• Veterans Day Parade in Virginia Beach -