A Veterans Day ceremony will be held at the Salina-Saline County War Memorial in Sunset Park, 700 Sunset Drive, Saturday, November 11 at 11 a.m.
The guest speaker for the ceremony is Salina’s Vice-Mayor Bill Longbine, a lifelong resident of Saline County and a VFW Auxiliary Life Member.
Multiple local military organizations will provide the Color Guard, and Kansas Wesleyan University’s Wind Ensemble will provide music with Taps being performed by Seth Bush and Craig Allison. Salina VFW Post 1432 is this year's ceremony host.
Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.'” As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.
In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress — at the urging of the veteran's service organizations — amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
All veterans and community members are invited to attend the ceremony in support of past and present service members.