Expressing Gratitude for Veterans on Veterans Day

Nov. 11 was Veterans Day, a federal holiday that commemorates all American Veterans, those both living and passed.  Originally, Veterans Day was known as “Armistice Day,” but became known as “Veterans Day” in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The day celebrates the anniversary of the end of World War I.

To celebrate Veterans Day, Port Washington hosts an annual parade in which the community joins together alongside the Port Washington Fire and Police Departments, and they parade down Campus Drive, Port Boulevard and Main Street.  The commemoration is held annually on Nov. 11 and begins at 10:30 a.m.  Local veterans are invited to participate and are provided with military-style vehicles to ride in during the event.  Additionally, supporters are encouraged to watch the parade anywhere along the route.  They are also welcome to watch the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Sousa Bandshell at 11 a.m.  Although Port Washington is a small community, it is important that everyone shows their support for our veterans.

The New York City Veterans Day Parade also happened on Nov. 11 to honour America’s veterans.  Created by the United War Veterans Council, this parade was the 102nd annual parade.  The opening ceremony took place in Madison Square Park, and the parade followed Fifth Avenue up to 40th Street.  The featured service branch in the parade this year was the United States Air Force.  For public viewing, the parade was aired live on WABC. 

Restaurants all over Long Island also expressed their gratitude towards veterans by offering them free food, drinks, and discounts.  Restaurants such as Applebee’s, IHOP, Dunkin’ Donuts, Shish Kebab, Zorn’s, and more participated in this tradition.

Schreiber’s own American Heroes Club also paid their respect to American veterans. American Heroes Club is devoted to helping all veteran causes.  According to Mr. George Muhlbauer, the club’s advisor, the majority of the funds that are raised are donated to the Port Washington VFW.

 “To date, we have raised over $8,000, but the main purpose of the club is to make something that our community (and veterans) can be proud of,” said Mr. Muhlbauer.

 The club also encourages Schreiber students to support and remember the people that fought for our country.

This year, club members, like senior Christian Rafferty, handed out poppies to students on the 9th of November.

The poppy flower is important to the remembrance of veterans as it symbolizes the bloodshed that occurred during WWI, and is an international symbol of fallen soldiers. 

Students can pay tribute in other ways, like sending letters and care packages to veterans.  The letters are handwritten and include positive messages thanking them for their service.  Additionally, there are websites where one can write messages to soldiers.  Some websites include Operation Gratitude, Sandboxx, Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, and more.

Students in the elementary schools also learn about this holiday and understand why they have off from school through lessons taught by their teachers.  

“The class will read an article about Veterans Day, and we’ll talk about how brave veterans are.  I will ask about any students who have veterans in their family.  I tie it into the larger theme of gratitude that we do in November,” said a first-grade teacher at Guggenheim, Ms. Jillian Mott.

It is important that we continue to express our gratitude towards the brave soldiers that have fought or are fighting for our country.