Veterans Day In Cherry Hill: How To Honor Military Personnel

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The post office and most banks will be closed in Cherry Hill on Thursday in observance of Veterans Day, a federal holiday that honors veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

Cherry Hill municipal offices will be closed on Thursday in observance of Veterans Day.

Camden County College will host its Veterans Day ceremony at its William G. Rohrer Center, 1889 Marlton Pike East in Cherry Hill, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The event includes a wreath-laying ceremony to honor students and members of the Camden County College Community who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The college will also announce plans for a new Veterans Memorial at the Rohrer Center.

"We thank and recognize the commitment and sacrifice of the many individuals who have served our nation," the college said in a statement. "Our debt to these heroes is something we must never forget, not just on Veterans Day, but every day."

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.