Chelmsford Veterans Day 2020: What To Know

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

In Chelmsford, there is a Veterans Day celebration at 11 a.m on Wednesday, but this year, because of the pandemic it will look a bit different.

The day will be marked by a virtual program put together by Chelmsford Telemedia will be posted on the town website on Nov. 11.

The pre-recorded video will show that the Veterans Memorial Park Committee added a new stone to the park to honor those Chelmsford veterans impacted by Agent Orange, a toxic chemical that the US Military used during Vietnam.

"An Agent Orange stone has been put in place and a virtual ceremony had been done," according to the committee website.

Park committee members will be in the Park on Veterans Day, at 11 a.m. and are inviting others to come by and say hi.

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.

In observance of the Veterans Day Holiday, there will be no trash or recycling pick up on Wednesday. And trash pick up will run on a one day delay.

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 .