Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States that honors American veterans of all wars. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is always observed officially on Nov. 11, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls.

The holiday, proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, originated as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I, known at the time as "The Great War." The war officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, at the Palace of Versailles in France.

However, the fighting actually ended seven months earlier when an armistice or truce was called between the Allied nations and Germany, which went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of "the war to end all wars."

Armistice Day became a federal holiday in 1938. Following World War II and the Korean War, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to recognize American veterans of all wars.

Unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who have died in the service of their country, Veterans Day is set aside to show respect and honor all who have served or are still serving and to thank them for their service.

"Veterans Day" does not include an apostrophe but does include an "s" at the end of "veterans" because it is not a day that "belongs" to veterans; it is a day for honoring all veterans.

Locally, a brief but meaningful Veterans Day ceremony was held in the Borough of Atglen led by Mayor Darren Hodorovich. The event took place at the World War II memorial in Atglen.

The fourth annual Veterans Day event included a moment of silence to honor fallen servicemen and servicewomen, the reciting of "The Pledge of Alliance" and a brief talk by Hodorovich.

"The 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month is our reminder that we should all pause to acknowledge the sacrifice of our veterans," said Hodorovich. "(We need to be reminded) time and time again what we owe our veterans and acknowledge what has been done to protect our way of life around the world."

He mentioned that events are held nationally to acknowledge veterans. "Over the weekend I was privileged to see my son in Pittsburgh and attend a University of Pitt football game in which all of the branches were honored during several different ceremonies on the field," he shared. "It seemed to me, the first one to stand each and every time were the vets themselves."

He also cited another example of acknowledging a veteran. "My sister posted a picture of a 97-year-old veteran of World War II who stormed the beaches of Normandy," he stated. "Over the summer, she was able to attend a ceremony at Normandy and collect sand to give to him. Again, acknowledgment."

Hodorovich explained that he grew up in the family of an Air Force veteran. "Growing up as a military brat, it does give you a unique insight into the level of service and dedication," he stated. "My father was Air Force. His job title was Soviet intelligence analyst. Needless to say, we were told growing up he could not tell us what he did. It wasn't until much later in life that I realized this level of sacrifice and dedication takes a toll."

Following the talk, attendees were invited to lay flowers on the memorial. Trumpeter Dwight Weaver played "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

"On behalf of the Borough of Atglen and the Office of the Mayor, we thank all of you (for attending), and we thank all of our vets for your service," Hodorovich added.

The World War II memorial is located at 406 Main St. in Atglen, at the intersection of Main Street and Route 372. The memorial's inscription reads, "Erected in grateful recognition of the men and women of Atglen."

More information about activities and events in Atglen can be found at http://www.atglen.org or by searching for "Mayor of Atglen Borough, Darren Hodorovich" on Facebook.