Midland College (MC), in partnership with the Permian Warrior Partnership, will host the inaugural Veterans Day Celebration in recognition of those who serve or have served the county. The event will be held on campus at 3600 N. Garfield in Midland on November 11 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We come together to recognize the sacrifices made by our heroes,” the college said in an Oct. 25 Facebook post. “This day is all about expressing our gratitude and support!”
According to an announcement on the school’s website, a 5K run/walk around the MC Campus Circle at 8 a.m. will kick off the celebration. Afterwards, MC’s annual Veterans Day ceremony will be held at the Physical Education Building from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
From noon to 4 p.m., the college said, attendees will be able to partake in food trucks, a petting zoo, a cornhole tournament, and a community services fair. “Come for a while, or stay all day,” MC said in the announcement.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the roots of Veterans Day date back to 1947 when an Alabama veteran who served in World War II named Raymond Weeks organized "National Veterans Day" to recognize all veterans. Subsequently known as Armistice Day, it was in 1954 when Congress approved and President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law a piece of legislation that called for rechristening the day as the public knows it today, the VA said. For a while, Veterans Day was observed on the fourth Monday of October, but would later shift back to November 11 through an act of Congress.