KDH and my friend Sharon Kerr took a walk over to the Veterans Day gathering in Southampton today by the WWI Memorial. A great group turned up for the event and we learned that there is a major fundraising effort underway to help restore the majestic monument. Here are the details :

The WWI Memorial Restoration At Agawam Park, A Lasting Tribute to Our Heroes…

“Built in 1923, the WWI Memorial is in need of repair. Over the course of the years, the salt air, humidity, leaks, inadequate drainage and other environmental factors have taken its toll on this structure, causing severe cracks and holes. Approximately $250,000 is needed to complete the project, expected to begin in the fall. Please play a part in restoring this great monument to its former beauty, and help us ensure that future generations of residents and visitors will enjoy this great memorial for many years to come.”

Need to remember the real reason you got today off of work? Here’s a little refresher course in history:

According to the official Vets Day website, here is the explanation of the history of Veterans Day:
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

**be sure to go visit the memorial this weekend, make a wish at the fountain, and stop by for a delicious bite at Little Red, located at:
76-C Jobs Lane
Southampton
(631) 283-3309
www.littleredsouthampton.com

*THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE BRAVE VETERANS AND TO THE HEROS WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY TODAY!