ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County Veterans will be honored on Tuesday, Nov. 10, beginning at 11 a.m. at the National Guard Armory in Elizabethtown. The speaker will be Command Sergeant Major Roger N. Daigle Jr.

Daigle is a native of Pomfret, Conn. He enlisted in the Army in August 1987.

He completed basic training at Fort Dix, N.J. and advanced individual training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., where he was awarded the Military Occupational Specialty of 35F, Intelligence Analyst.

He is married to the former Jennifer King of St. Louis, Missouri and has four children, Courtney (12), Collin (10), Thomas (8) and Nathan (4).

There will be an air show by Hester and Campbell, a special award will be given to a Bladen County student that won a student essay award and East and West Bladen Jr RROTC Drill Teams.

History of Veteran's Day

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for Nov. 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. It was approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on Nov. 11, 1953, to honor veterans.

With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Congress amended this act on Nov. 8, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

Although originally scheduled for celebration on Nov. 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. In 1978 it was moved back to its original celebration on Nov. 11.

Veterans’ Day was set aside to honor all persons who served in our Armed Forces in 1954 by President Eisenhower.

Tuesday will be a day filled with activities and salutes for all the people in Bladen County who decided to serve our country in the military.