Birmingham native, the late Raymond Weeks, a
U.S. Navy WW II veteran pioneered the concept of a National day to honor
military veterans and founded the National Veterans Day nonprofit group. That
lead to the first celebration using the term Veterans Day in Birmingham in
1947. Weeks invited President Eisenhower to the Birmingham Veterans parade. He
lobbied to change Armistice Day, honoring WW I Veterans, into honoring all
Veterans who served and fought for their country.
In 1954 President Eisenhower signed the Veterans Day law. Weeks was the head of the National Veterans Day nonprofit and the Birmingham event until he passed in 1985. A memorial service for Weeks will be held on November 10 in Linn Park.
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Parades, memorial wreaths and other patriotic ceremonies are planned throughout the state on Nov. 11, including in Birmingham, home of America's oldest Veterans Day parade. Mark Ryan, president of National Veterans Day in Birmingham and organizer of the parade and other events, says this year's celebration is coming together well.
With about 420,000 veterans in Alabama, almost 10 percent of the state's population, Alabama has one of the largest numbers of retired veterans and one of the largest National Guards of any state our size, says Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Department of Tourism.
The parade begins at 1:30pm at 8th avenue north and 19th street on Monday, November 11. B Meyer, see the entire list of events at: http://nationalveteransday.org/events-schedule/, around the state ALAv EVENTS
In 1954 President Eisenhower signed the Veterans Day law. Weeks was the head of the National Veterans Day nonprofit and the Birmingham event until he passed in 1985. A memorial service for Weeks will be held on November 10 in Linn Park.
Parades, memorial wreaths and other patriotic ceremonies are planned throughout the state on Nov. 11, including in Birmingham, home of America's oldest Veterans Day parade. Mark Ryan, president of National Veterans Day in Birmingham and organizer of the parade and other events, says this year's celebration is coming together well.
With about 420,000 veterans in Alabama, almost 10 percent of the state's population, Alabama has one of the largest numbers of retired veterans and one of the largest National Guards of any state our size, says Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Department of Tourism.
The parade begins at 1:30pm at 8th avenue north and 19th street on Monday, November 11. B Meyer, see the entire list of events at: http://nationalveteransday.org/events-schedule/, around the state ALAv EVENTS