Cambridge Veterans Day 2020: What To Know

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Veterans Day, a federal holiday, is held yearly on Nov. 11. It honors all American veterans and military.

In Cambridge, the annual Veterans Day celebration at 11 a.m. on Wednesday will look a little different. Although commemorative wreaths will be placed at the Cambridge Cemetery and at the site of the Washington Elm Memorial on the Cambridge Common in honor of Veterans Day, the usual remembrance events will not happen this year.

"A public observance will not be held this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," city officials said in a statement.

The Department of Veterans' Services and CityView22 have produced a special video to commemorate the day this year.

The commemorative video can be viewed on 22 CityView You Tube Channel and includes messages from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, City Manager Louis A. DePasquale, and DVS staff, as well as a special address from Cheryl Poppe, Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

"Veterans Day offers us all the opportunity to recognize and honor the heroism of our military servicemen and women," said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “Although we cannot acknowledge our veterans through an in-person ceremony this year, it is important that we take a moment to acknowledge the sacrifice and patriotism of our veterans here in Cambridge.”

Despite not being able to gather in person, Siddiqui urged Cambridge residents to pause and reflect on the sacrifices veterans have made for the country.

"It is an especially difficult time right now as our veterans cannot gather together to enjoy activities usually planned as part of Veterans Appreciation Week," said Director of Cambridge Veterans’ Services Department Neil MacInnes-Barker.

Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was created at the end of World War I to recognize those who fought in "the war to end all wars," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Its 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 after 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.

With some ceremonies, parades and presentations either canceled or altered in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, restaurants and other businesses will continue to show their appreciation for veterans and active military members.

7-Eleven is among the chains that are offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp to veterans for their service.
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 in war.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .