South San Francisco, CA November 7, 2017 Press Release City of SSF
DEDICATED TO VETERANS BY THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
“A NATION REVEALS ITSELF NOT ONLY BY THE MEN IT PRODUCES
BUT ALSO BY THE MEN IT HONORS; THE MEN IT REMEMBERS”
JOHN F. KENNEDY OCTOBER 26, 1963
As Veterans Day approaches, South San Francisco thanks all veterans for their service and sacrifice in defense of our Country.
“Veterans Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the commitment and sacrifice of our local, state and national military heroes,” says Mayor Pradeep Gupta. “It is a day commemorating and honoring generations of past and present military service members and their families.”
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared in the First World War, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief pause in business activities at 11 a.m. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.
“To all Veterans, you have made not only South San Francisco and California proud, but the whole of our great nation,” adds City Manager Mike Futrell. “We thank you for serving with valor and without hesitation to preserve our freedoms.”
In the United States, an official wreath-laying ceremony is held each Veterans Day at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, while parades and other celebrations are held in states around the country. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans – living or dead – but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
Did You Know?[1]
- 18.5 million – The number of military veterans in the United States in 2016
- 1.6 million – The number of female veterans in the United States in 2016
- 1.6 million – The number of veterans in California
- 15.07 million – Forecasted number of veterans nationwide in 2040
South San Francisco Honors Its Veterans
The City of South San Francisco and local businesses are honoring its Veterans through November 17th. The City is proudly displaying American flags along Grand and Linden Avenues while local businesses offer special discounts to veterans who show their Military/Veteran ID card or a veteran memento for verification. For a list of participating businesses, please visit http://bit.ly/SSFVeterans.
In addition, veterans who visit the City Manager at City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue, will receive a free “key to the City” pin.
Veterans can also swim free on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12 at the Orange Memorial Park Swimming Pool, located at 1 West Orange Avenue, South San Francisco, California.
For questions on Veterans Day activities, please call (650) 829-6680