Iowa City Veterans Day Closings

IOWA CITY, IA — Administrative offices at Iowa City City Hall are closed today to commemorate Veterans Day, which is Saturday. (See an additional holiday closings list below.)

Holiday History

Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, on what was considered the first anniversary of the end of World War I. But the war didn't officially end until June 28, 1919. It was the armistice — the calling of a truce to end the fighting — between the Allied nations and Germany that occurred on the November date after both sides agreed the fighting would stop on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938, according to history.com. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 officially renamed the holiday Veterans Day. A bill passed in 1968 changed the celebration to the fourth Monday in October, but President Gerald Ford changed the date back to November 11 in 1975 to honor the significant date that occurred during the "war to end all wars."

Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans, living or dead, but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. The holiday also is celebrated in Great Britain, France, Australia and Canada, though dates vary and the holiday is typically referred to as Remembrance Day or Remembrance Sunday.

Here are some facts about the veteran population of the United States today, according to history.com:

• 16.1 million living veterans served during at least one war.
• 5.2 million veterans served in peacetime.
• 2 million veterans are women.
• 7 million veterans served during the Vietnam War.
• 5.5 million veterans served during the Persian Gulf War.
• Of the 16 million Americans who served during World War II, about 558,000 are still alive.
• 2 million veterans served during the Korean War.
• 6 million veterans served in peacetime.

Holiday Schedule In Iowa City

Here's a list of other special schedules in effect on Saturday (unless otherwise noted) for the holiday, according to City Hall:

Transit: Buses are running and complimentary rides are available to veterans and their families on Saturday. Riders are asked to show a military ID or other identification indicating veteran status.

Airport: Administration office closed, but Jet Air will be open.

Cemetery: The office at Oakland Cemetery will be closed. Grave decorations: Fall and winter decorations may remain in place through the end of February, when cemetery staff will begin cleaning in preparation for spring.

Landfill and Recycling Center: Closed Friday, but open regular hours Saturday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Library: Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Parking: Normal operations in effect.

Parks and Recreation: Administrative offices will be closed at both facilities, but the Robert A. Lee and Mercer/Scanlon buildings and pools will be open regular hours.

Police: Administration and Records offices closed. Patrol and station masters on duty.

Refuse, Recycling and Yard Waste: There will be no curbside garbage, recycling, or yard waste collection today. Residents on the Friday route should have materials at the curb by 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 13. Monday route customers should follow their regular schedule, although the city cannot determine exactly when items will be collected.

Senior Center: Closed. No senior meals.

Streets: The city's Leaf Vacuum Program will operate today.

Transit: Normal operations, and free rides will be available for veterans and their families on fixed-route city buses and Johnson County SEATS on Saturday. Show a military ID or other identification indicating vet status. For information call 319-356-5151.

Water: Office closed. For a water emergency, call the 24-hour emergency number at 319-356-5166.

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