Sunday, Nov. 11, begins the 100th anniversary year of Veterans Day, the federal holiday first declared by President Woodrow Wilson as Armistice Day, following the close of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1954 proclamation renamed Armistice Day to Veterans Day, “to insure proper and widespread observance” of this holiday for all veterans and the entire citizenry.
On Saturday, Nov. 3, the Town Celebrations Committee and Lexington/Bedford Veterans’ Services Office, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Lexington, held its seventh annual Veterans Day Breakfast at Keilty Hall, St. Brigid’s Church, hosting about 200 veterans. Dignitaries from Hanscom Air Force Base included Brig. Gen. Michael Schmidt, Col. Amanda Kato, Col. Chad Ellsworth, and their spouses; and Master Sgt. Henry Hayes, installation command chief; state Sen. Cindy Friedman and Rep. Jay Kaufman were also present.