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Nov. 10, 2008: Anessah Tookes places American flags on the graves of military veterans in Tahoma Cemetery in Yakima, Wash.APAmericans honored the nation's troops Tuesday in commemoration of Veterans Day.President Bush arrived in New York to formally rededicate the Intrepid museum in honor of Veterans Day, and thousands of visitors gathered at the aircraft carrier's newly rebuilt pier on Manhattan's West Side."Thank you for your courage, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for standing up when your nation needed you must," Bush said.The president spoke in the shadow of the Intrepid and near the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, where sailors and marines peered down on the ceremony from the ship's deck. After his speech, astronauts Scott Carpenter and Buzz Aldrin helped the president toss a wreath into the Hudson River as a bugler played "Taps."Before the speech, Bush told reporters that one veteran in particular-his father, a World War II pilot-had inspired him."I was raised by a veteran. I appreciate the commitment to our country that the veterans have made," he said. "Our nation is blessed because our liberties have been defended by brave men and women in the past and we are blessed to have brave men and women defend our liberties today."In Chicago, President-elect Barack Obama placed a wreath at a memorial to fallen U.S. soldiers alongside Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs in combat.At Arlington National Cemetery, Vice President Dick Cheney placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.A crowd of more than 400 people gathered under a white tent at the Delaware War Memorial, at the foot of the bridge joining Delaware and New Jersey, to hear Vice President-elect Joe Biden speak with Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.Across the nation, flags were placed on the gravesites of veterans by volunteers, including Anessah Tookes, a 15-year-old member of the of the Junior Girls of the VFW Post No. 379 in Yakima, Wash., who honored the fallen troops laid to rest at the city's Tahoma Cemetery. Veterans are increasingly looking to the Internet to stay connected, and the American Legion launched a social networking site Tuesday called CommunityofVeterans.org to reach out to younger vets of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The United States first recognized Nov. 11 as a day to honor veterans in 1938, the 20th anniversary of the official end of World War I. It was called Armistice Day.A movement arose in the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War to expand the holiday to honor all veterans instead of only those from the first world war. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a distinguished World War II veteran, signed a document to rename Armistice Day to Veterans Day.Except for seven years during the Vietnam War, when the holiday was observed on the last Monday of November, it has been observed on Nov. 11.In honor of the federal holiday, post offices and banks are closed.
Click here to read about veterans from the Iraq war fighting lingering health problems. PHOTOS
Click here to read about veterans from the Iraq war fighting lingering health problems. PHOTOS
As in the days of Noah...
