Every year on Veterans Day, the American Legion Mineola Memorial Post 349 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Private Adolph Block Post 1305 hold a ceremony in Mineola's Memorial Park to honor the nation's veterans who served throughout the years.

This year, the ceremony will be special since the Veterans Monument, which has been long been in the park, will be rededicated. The area around the monument has received lights, benches and brick pavement. The monument will also receive a new plaque honoring those who were involved in any military conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the current war on terrorism. The plaque will also list the number of participants, MIAs and POWs and those killed in action for each of the military conflicts.

The American Legion Memorial Post 349 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Private Adolph Block Post 1305 hope residents will join them for this ceremony in Mineola's Memorial Park on Monday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this nation's freedom.

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried at each nation's highest place of honor. These memorial gestures all took place on Nov. 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as Armistice Day.

Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926, through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. However, only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Over 16 million Americans took part with 470,000 of them dying in service with more than 292,000 in battle.

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill, proclaiming Nov. 11 as Veterans Day. In 1968, a law passed which changed that national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent though that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978, Congress returned the observance to its original date.