By WashCo Now Staff
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. – Today is Veterans Day, and WashCo Now joins all of Washington County in saying thank you to every man and woman who has served in the United States Armed Forces.
What Veterans Day honors
Veterans Day traces back to the end of World War I. The fighting stopped when an armistice took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month: Nov. 11, 1918. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day in November 1919, and Congress made Nov. 11 a legal holiday in 1938.
In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress replaced the word “Armistice” with “Veterans,” and Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA describes the day as “a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
Thank you, Washington County veterans
Here at home, our veterans are neighbors, church members, coworkers, coaches, and friends. They answered the call to serve our country, and we are grateful.
To every veteran in Washington County: thank you for your service. And to the spouses, children, parents, and families who stood behind them through deployments, moves, and long stretches apart, thank you as well. Your sacrifice is part of their service, and it is not forgotten.
Veterans Day events around Washington County
Several Veterans Day programs are planned on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Here is what has been announced:
- 8:00 to 8:45 AM, Chipley: Veterans Breakfast hosted by the Chipley High School Beta Club in the cafeteria at Roulhac Middle School, 1535 Brickyard Road. The school says veterans with a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew at RMS are invited.
- 9:00 AM, Chipley: CHS/RMS Veterans Day Tribute in the Roulhac Middle School auditorium, hosted by the RMS Student Council and RMS Beta. All visitors must present a valid photo ID to sign in and enter campus.
- 9:00 AM, Vernon: Vernon Middle School Veterans Program at Vernon Middle School, 3190 Moss Hill Road. For details, call the school at (850) 535-2807 or email vmsoffice@wcsdschools.com.
- 10:00 AM, Vernon: Vernon High School Army JROTC Veterans Day Celebration in the VHS Gymnasium, 3232 Moss Hill Road.
- 10:00 AM, Wausau: Wausau Garden Club Veterans Day Program at Wausau Town Hall, 1607 2nd Avenue. Wausau native and retired Marine Duane Hanson will be the guest speaker, according to the Wausau Garden Club.
- 11:00 AM, Chipley: Florida Panhandle Technical College Veterans Day Luncheon, as listed on the school district’s schedule. The district’s listing does not give a location or say who is invited, so check with FPTC before you go.
School program times are from the Washington County School District’s Veterans Day Program Schedule. Room and guest details for Roulhac Middle School are from the school’s flyer. The district’s schedule also listed programs at Kate M. Smith Elementary and Vernon Elementary on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Coming up this weekend: the Falling Waters Lions Club’s pancake breakfast is Saturday, Nov. 14, from 7:00 to 10:00 AM at the New Life Fellowship Church fellowship hall, 695 5th Street in Chipley, and veterans eat free with ID, according to the club’s announcement shared through the school district.
See every listing on the WashCo Now Community Calendar. If your church, school, or group is honoring veterans this week and is not listed, send it to us.
Good to know on Veterans Day
- Washington County offices are closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day, according to the county’s website.
- City of Chipley offices are closed all day Wednesday, according to the city’s calendar.
- The Washington County Clerk’s office is closed Wednesday and reopens during regular business hours on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Veterans and their families who need help with VA benefits can contact the Washington County Veterans’ Service Office at 1331 South Blvd. in Chipley, (850) 638-6140. The office helps veterans, surviving spouses, and children determine eligibility and apply for benefits such as disability compensation, pension, VA health care enrollment, home loans, burial, and education benefits. Its listed hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and the county recommends calling before you visit.
To all who served, and to the families who served alongside them: thank you.
