Thank You For Your Service: Saluting Our Veterans (photos)
By • November 13, 2017 0 2605
On Veterans Day, we pause to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces as well as those who have fallen defending the country. Although World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, hostilities between the major powers actually ended on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when an armistice went into effect. “Armistice Day” was celebrated in the United States every year thereafter until 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed it to “Veterans Day” to encompass the veterans of all American wars.
This year, Veterans Day marked the 99th anniversary of the end of “The War to End All Wars.” On Thursday, Nov. 9, ground was broken on the National World War I Memorial at Pershing Park, located at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington D.C. The ceremony was attended by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin and a member of the Pershing family.
Veterans Day activities at Arlington National Cemetery commenced precisely at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns by Vice President Mike Pence and continued inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans’ organizations and remarks from Pence and other dignitaries. This was followed by a steady procession of wreath-layings at the Tomb of the Unknowns by individual national and international veterans and active military organizations.
Later that afternoon, a separate memorial service was held at the birthplace of General of the Armies John J. Pershing, hosted by the Military Order of the World Wars and attended by representatives of World War I allied nations.
View Jeff Malet’s photos from Veterans Day activities in the D.C. metro area by clicking on the photo icons below.
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- The Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery was packed to hear Vice President Pence deliver remarks. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Vice President Mike Pence delivers remarks inside the National Ampitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Army Air Corps WWII veteran Jim Prusa, age 94, was a POW at Stalag 17B. His plane was shot down on his 24th mission. Prusa was a ball turret gunner. Photo by Jeff Malet.
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- Mayor Bowser, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and others at the World War One groundbreaking ceremony (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Laura Adie as a yeomen (F). On March 19, 1917, the Bureau of Navigation sent letters to the commanders of the naval districts informing them they could recruit women into the Naval Coast Defense Reserve (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Colonel Didier Gros of the French Army attend the World War One Memorial groundbreaking ceremony (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Doughboy reenactors at the World War One groundbreaking ceremony (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- A special $1 coin will be issued to commemorate WW1. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- West Point Cadets with shovels at the World War One groundbreaking ceremony (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley (left) greets former U.S. Senator and Sec. of the Navy John Warner at the WW1 Memorial groundbreaking ceremony (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Captain Robert Kaufman (age 98), USN (Ret.), (left), who was present during the Japanese surrender ceremony on the USS Missouri (Sept. 2, 1945), was in attendance as the United States Navy Memorial hosted a wreath-laying ceremony as part of its Veterans Day celebration in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 10,. Here chatting with Command Master Chief Charles Baldwin, USN (Ret.) (right). (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The United States Navy Memorial hosted a wreath-laying ceremony as part of its Veterans Day celebration in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 10, 2017. The guest speaker was Command Master Chief Charles Baldwin, USN (Ret.) Participating in the ceremony, Rear Admiral Charles Rock, USN, Commandant, Naval District Washington. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Michael Little (right), Director of Legislative Affairs at the Assoc. of the US Navy lays a wreath for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unkowns for The Military Order of the World Wars (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Jennifer Silva, Chief Program Officer. placing a wreath for the Wounded Warrior Project (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- VFW Honor Guard (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Arlington National Cemetery (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- A view of the Tomb of the Unknowns and the National Ampitheater from below. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Justice Marion Chambers, USMC distinguished himself on Iwo Jima (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Arlington National Cemetery (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The United States Army Band “Pershings Own” – The National Anthem at Pershing’s Grave. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Karen Durham-Aguilera is the Executive Director of Army National Military Cemeteries. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- A representative of the Canadian Army at the Pershing grave site. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Carrying the wreath for the Embassy of France (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- General of the Armies John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in World War I, 1917–18. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- US Military Vets Motorcycle Club (Virginia) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Ronald Servary of Baltimore is Captain of the VFW National Honor Guard (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Sarah Taylor carries the flag for Gold Star Mothers (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- America’s Allies: Australian Army Brigadier Shane Gabriel, and Major General Stephen Porter with George Siket representing Canada.
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- Thomas W. Stevens, National President of the Korean War Veterans Association,; with Lt. Col. Lee Kang Wook of Korea.
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- Order of the Purple Heart
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- Ronald Servary of Baltimore is Captain of the VFW National Honor Guard (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II, receiving every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Paul Brown Leadership Academy, Elizabethtown, N.C. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Frank Woodruff Buckles was a United States Army corporal and the last surviving American military veteran of World War I. He was 110. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Laying a memorial wreath at the grave of Frank Buckles who was a United States Army corporal and the last surviving American military veteran of World War I. He was 110. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The Military Order of the World Wars Memorial Service at Pershings grave in Arlington. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The French were represented at the Military Order of the World Wars Memorial Service at Pershings grave in Arlington. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Russian Navy Captain Sergey Sadchinov participated in the Military Order of the World Wars Memorial Service at Pershings grave in Arlington. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Representatives from Canada, France, Belgium, Russia at the Military Order of the World Wars Memorial Service at Pershings grave in Arlington. (photo by Jeff Malet)
