Veterans Day In Marietta: How To Honor Military Personnel

MARIETTA, GA — The post office and most banks will be closed in Marietta on Thursday in observance of Veterans Day, a federal holiday that honors veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

Here's a look at some of what will be open and closed in Marietta on Thursday, Nov. 11:

• Cobb County offices will be closed Thursday.
• Cobb County Public Libraries will be closed Thursday.
• Marietta City Schools and Cobb County School District will be open.
• This is a federal holiday and all U.S. Postal Service post offices will be closed. No mail will be delivered or sent, except for Priority Mail Express.
• All banks are closed Thursday.

Additionally, here are a few Veterans Day events in and near Marietta:

• The city of Marietta and the Kiwanis Club of Marietta are hosting the 17th annual Veterans Day Parade on Thursday, which starts at 10:45 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church. The parade will then head to Marietta Square, followed by a ceremony. The parade will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Cobb County's YouTube channel or on CobbTV.
• The seventh annual American Legion Post 29 Veterans Memorial 5K run/walk/wheelchair race is planned Saturday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 a.m. There's also a 1K walk/run at 8:30 a.m. and a Tot Trot for children age 5 and under at 8:45 a.m. It's $35 to register for the 5K or 1K, and can be done online at Active.com.
• Following the 5K, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus is hosting a free military appreciation concert for the general public Saturday, Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. at Glover Park in Marietta Square.

Veterans Day, commemorated annually on Nov. 11, was first celebrated in 1919 to honor those who fought in World War I. It was initially called Armistice Day and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

The holiday’s origin is tied to the armistice, a temporary end of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany signed in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

It became Veterans Day in 1954, shortly following the end of the Korean War and less than a decade after World War II, after various veterans service organizations urged Congress to encompass veterans of all wars in their honor.

While some ceremonies, parades and services may be canceled or altered as the coronavirus pandemic continues, restaurants and other businesses will continue to show their appreciation for veterans and active-military members.

Applebee’s, Bob Evans and Chili’s Grill and Bar are among the national restaurant chains offering free or discounted meals for veterans on Nov. 11, and 7-Eleven is offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp.

Other places, such as Golden Corral and Eat'n Park, have offers extended throughout November.

Veterans Day is somewhat related to, and sometimes mistaken for, Memorial Day, the federal holiday on the final Monday of May that is dedicated to those who have died while serving the United States.