Veterans Day In Moorestown: How To Honor Military Personnel

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

The Moorestown Library will also be closed, and it will use the day as a staff development day.
The Braver Angels Moorestown Alliance will host the “United We Run” from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday morning.

The run begins and ends at 213 Hedgeman Avenue, and cover 11 miles in between. Moorestown Councilman Quinton Law and Vick Bobadilla, who ran in this year’s special council election, will both participate in the run, which will be led by John Scully and a team of Braver Angels.

Law’s and Bobadilla’s participation shows that, regardless of party affiliation, we are neighbors who love our country and respect those who serve, the group said on its Facebook page.

Anyone who would like to run a mile in the event, or who would like to cheer on the runners, can register here.

That night, the final 2nd Street Outdoor Market of the season will take place at Town Hall, 111 West Second Street, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event features food trucks, lawn games and live music. Veterans will get a discount at the food trucks.

While township offices will be closed, the township's trash contractor is not. Trash pickup will continue as regularly scheduled on Thursday.

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.