How To Honor War Heroes On Veterans Day In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Veterans Day, a federal holiday, will be celebrated Wednesday in the Doylestown area.

While the annual Veterans Day luncheon at the YMCA of Bucks County will not be held this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are several local events happening in the area:

• State Rep. Wendy Ullman, D-Bucks, will host a free drive-thru luncheon for veterans next week. Ullman’s Veterans Appreciation Drive-Thru Luncheon is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the American Legion Post 210 parking lot, 315 North Street, Doylestown, PA 18901.
• Fran's Pub in New Hope will host a Veterans Day event on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. You can make a donation to the the Meghan's Foundation and receive a free t-shirt.
• State Sen. Steve Santarsiero will host an online expo on resources available for veterans in Bucks County on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m.
• New Britain Township will hold a Veterans Day Ceremony at the North Branch Veterans Monument at 207 Park Avenue in Chalfont on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m.

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.

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.