Honoring Service & Sacrifice: Voice Of The Township
The Wayne Township Trustee Office will be closed on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 in honor of Veterans Day. Not only is this a holiday giving many workers the day off, including federal postal employees (There is no mail delivery on that day.), but Veterans Day has personal significance to a large portion of the population- veterans and their families, friends and other loved ones. Here at the township many of us have friends and family members who have been in the Armed Forces. We also meet many former service men and women on a daily basis in our work. Veterans and those who are currently serving have made many sacrifices for our country and for its citizens. It’s an honor to be able to pay tribute to them for their service.
Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day as it commemorated the peace treaty that was signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—November 11, 1919, effectively ending all military operations and hostilities in all theatres and fronts of World War I. Known as the Great War, the First World War had been a global conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. Fighting took place throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. It was the biggest war the world had seen up to that point in history. It is easy to imagine how relieved the world was to see that war come to an end. Now, in the United States, the day honors veterans of all our military conflicts, and according to the Congressional Record, two minutes of silence is recommended to be observed at 2:11pm Eastern Standard Time.
While 11/11 was a significant date for the celebration of Veterans Day, in 1968 Congress signed the Uniform Holiday Bill to ensure that a few federal holidays — Veterans Day included — would be celebrated on a Monday. Officials hoped it would spur travel and other family activities over a long weekend, which would stimulate the economy. That bill set Veterans Day commemorations for the fourth Monday of every October.
“Within a few years, it became pretty apparent that most U.S. citizens wanted to celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, since it was a matter of historic and patriotic significance. So on Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed another law which returned the annual observance to its original date starting in 1978.”
While the legal holiday remains on November 11, if that date happens to be on a Saturday or Sunday, then federal government employees and a number of organizations will instead take the day off on the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively.
Here in Fort Wayne, the annual Veterans Day Parade on Parnell Avenue, sponsored by the Allen County Council of Veterans Organizations, will be held Saturday, November 8 at 11:00 a.m., with a ceremony immediately following the parade.
The parade opening ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. and travel north on Parnell Avenue to the Memorial Coliseum for placement of wreaths, playing of taps, and remembering fallen brothers and sisters-in-arms.
The Veterans Day parade and ceremony are made possible by local organizations and volunteers. Organizations that would like to participate or have participated in the past can fill out an event form at accov.weebly.com. For more information, visit the Allen County Council of Veterans Organizations website at accov.weebly.com, on Facebook or by contacting the Commander at commanderaccov@gmail.com.
Trustee Austin Knox encourages everyone to attend this ceremony and to honor any veteran you meet with a sincere “Thank you for your service.” It’s a simple phrase that veterans may hear often, but it always means a lot to know that we appreciate all the sacrifices that our service members have made for their country.
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