Veterans will be honored at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center on Veterans Day at the medical center’s annual program on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in the auditorium.

The annual program includes a variety of participants from the local and middle Georgia community and honors veterans and active-duty military for their service to the nation. Program coordinator and Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) chief Keith Griffin extended an invitation to all to attend.

“Veterans Day is a perfect time to remember the sacrifices that our veterans have made and that our active-duty military members continue to make. We certainly hope that everyone will join us to acknowledge their defense of our nation’s freedoms,” Griffin said.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Rodney Lindsay, retired U.S. Army colonel and chief of Chaplain Services at the Dublin VA. 

Dr. Frank Jordan, communications director for the Dublin VA, added that the program and others like it are unique opportunities for society to promote patriotism among American youth. 

“If we want to ensure that a sense of patriotism continues to be a part of our nation’s rich heritage, we must transmit that ideal to our youth. Programs at the VA are a perfect way to teach our children and young adults about what it means to live in a democracy and the costs that some must bear to sustain it. We hope that everyone will join us and bring many others with them,” Jordan said.

Originally known as Armistice Day after a presidential proclamation was signed by Presidential Woodrow Wilson in November 1919, Veterans Day was proclaimed by President Eisenhower in 1954. 

Anyone with questions about the program are encouraged to contact Keith Griffin at 478-277-2729 or by email at[email protected]. The public is also encouraged to follow the Dublin VA on its Facebook page at “Dublin VA Medical Center.”