Veterans Day Events
The National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 11. The public is invited to attend. At 1 p.m., the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will host a special observance and 40th anniversary event at The Wall.
Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies
As a display of gratitude and appreciation, community partners have joined together for Veterans Day to honor service members, veterans, and their families for their sacrifice and dedication to our nation. Participating Sport Clips locations will be offering free haircuts to active duty service members and veterans. Other Veterans Day discounts are being offered for a variety of restaurants, retailers, and services.
Veterans Day History
The treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919, marking the official end of World War I. One year later in 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans organizations, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1934 act that made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word Armistice in favor of Veterans. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954. From then on, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
National Family Caregivers Month
VA is honoring the estimated 5.5 million family members and friends who provide much-needed care for chronically ill, injured, or disabled veterans during National Family Caregivers Month. Resources for caregivers have significantly increased since the passage of the VFW-supported VA Mission Act of 2018. The VA Caregiver Support Program offers tools and information for caregivers and the veterans they serve. Additionally, Building Better Caregivers provides an online workshop with self-paced lessons and a connection with the caregiver community.
POW/MIA Update
Army Air Forces Cpl. Merle L. Pickup, 27, of Provo, Utah, was assigned to 308th Bombardment Group, 373rd Bombardment Squadron, stationed in Yangkai, China. In May 1944, Pickup was a passenger on board a B-24J Liberator bomber on a ferrying mission from China to Chabua, Assam, India. Pickup will be buried in his hometown on Dec. 17, 2022.
Army Staff Sgt. Sanford I. Finger, 29, of Miami Beach, Florida, was assigned to U.S. Army Element Vietnam. On Oct. 26, 1971, Finger was lost when the CH-47B Chinook helicopter on which he was a passenger went down over water in bad weather while flying from Tuy Hoa to Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam. His burial date and location have yet to be determined.
Army Sgt. Howard G. Malcolm, 23, was assigned to Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Sgt. Allen H. Tuttle, 23, was assigned to Battery C, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit’s attempted withdrawal from Kunu-ri, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James M. Triplett, 36, was assigned to 700th Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force. On Sept. 27, 1944, the B-24H Liberator aircraft on which Triplett was serving as a radio operator crashed as a result of enemy fire during a bombing mission near Kassel, Germany. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Force Pvt. John W. Ropp, 31, was assigned to the 2nd Observance Squadron in the Philippines, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula in April 1942. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
