The Veterans Day Parade will begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 in Fairmont.

Participants will line up at noon in Palatine Park, where the parade will start.

The marchers will head to Merchant Street, cross the Robert H. Mollohan–Jefferson Street (Million Dollar) Bridge, aka High Level, and then turns on to Washington Street then on Monroe and Adams streets, ending at Veterans Square.

A short ceremony will follow the parade.

For details, call Carol Baker at (304) 365-4207.

The Marion County Historical Society will be honoring World War II veterans from 2-4 p.m. Monday at the Central United Methodist Church social hall at 301 Fairmont Avenue. World War II veteran Asa Davison will discuss his war experience.

Edward “Ed” Hargro has prepared an exhibit and presentation on the Tuskegee Airmen. His father, Col. George “Spanky” Roberts, was the first African-American to fly a plane for the U.S. government as well as the first commander of integrated troops.

The Rev. D.D. Meighen will be showing a short film about Col. Roberts. Jack Oliver will share the story of Sgt. Summers from Rivesville.

There will be a display featuring a Gold Star flag from the D-Day landing in Normandy, France.

The Rotary Club of South Fairmont will hold its sixth annual Veterans Day Breakfast at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center. It’s a free meal for veterans who made reservations by Nov. 5.

In Shinnston at 11 a.m. the Shinnston Veterans Parade will begin. It is sponsored by the Shinnston Lions Club.

For details, call Dave Minor at (304) 844-6078.

Terra Alta East Preston School will begin its Veterans Day ceremony at 1 p.m. Tuesday

in the school gym.

Local veterans who show up will be given a token of appreciation. The band will perform. Ms. Borror’s 4th grade class will sing. There will be a slide show of veterans’ experiences.

Brittany Bell, Title I Parent Volunteer Coordinator, is handling the details.

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day and was chosen after Allied and German troops had an armistice that took place on 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (Nov. 11, 1918).

President Woodrow Wilson declared the first Armistice Day for Nov. 11, 1919.

That was seven months before World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.

Congress didn’t officially recognize the end of World War I until June 4, 1926.

Armistice Day began a legal national holiday in 1938. The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954.

In 1971 Congress changed Veterans Day, Washington's Birthday (now Presidents Day to include Lincoln), Memorial Day and Columbus Day into Monday holidays, to create 3-day weekends. In 1978 Veterans Day was returned to its original, Nov. 11 place.