Danvers Veterans Day Morning Rolling Caravan Route

DANVERS, MA — Danvers residents are invited to come out early on Wednesday and honor the town's veterans during a caravan parade designed to promote social distancing as well as celebrate contributions to the country.

The caravan, hosted by Danvers police, will be part of a morning of activities honoring veterans that includes a virtual program to be livestreamed at 11 a.m. and rebroadcast at 6 p.m.

The caravan route of police cruisers, fire apparatus and emergency vehicles will begin on Sylvan Street at 9 a.m. The caravan moves from Danvers Town Hall with a right turn onto Park Street, and a left turn onto High Street passing the Porter Cemetery.

The caravan will take a left onto Lane Parkway and a right onto Maple Street passed the Memorial Flag Pole in Danvers Square.

The next turn is a left onto Pickering Street, a right onto Maple Street, and concluding at Danvers Town Hall on Holten Street.

The route will also include Hobart Street, Conant Street, Park Street and Gould Street.

There is no gathering at Danvers Town Hall before or after the ceremony due to the coronavirus crisis.

Residents are encouraged to watch from their property or utilize public parking lots and on-street parking along the route. Residents in public places must wear a mask covering.

For more information on the parade go here.

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.

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 in war.

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U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton's 'Veterans Town Hall' Goes Virtual