Veterans Day is just around the corner and that means its time to celebrate those who have served. On November 9th from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., a celebration in honor of veterans will be held in the downtown Milford area. The Thank Every Vet Festival is the new name for Milford’s annual Veterans Day celebration. Not only is there a parade, but also a host of family friendly activities that will be fun for everyone.
With the change in name comes a new parade route that will step off at Wasson Field, continue to West Main Street, West River, North Street and end where it began at Wasson Field. At parade’s end will feature an array of activities including face painting, music, food trucks, and more. This “Thank Every Vet Festival” is Milford’s first all-day Veterans Day festival.
There are over 2,000 veterans in the city of Milford who served in their country here at home and in places including Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations. Veterans organizations within Milford, including VFW Post 7788, American Legion Post 196, The Milford Elks, Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 31-2, and the Disabled American Veterans of Milford will all be participating in the Thank Every Vet Festival.
Milford has a long history of honoring those who have served, dating back to the heroes who helped secure American independence. The Liberty Rock monument in Devon was dedicated to the “Liberty Boys” later called Minute Men, who used the site as a lookout post. Since then, generations of Milford men have served during times of war and peace.
On Armistice Day, November 11th, Milford holds a wreath laying ceremony at each of the memorial monuments on the Milford green to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The wreath laying ceremony occurs on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, which marked the end of the first World War. Local dignitaries, veterans, the American Legion, and members of area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops will participate in the ceremony. Each of the monuments list those who have died in active duty. The ceremony begins at City Hall and the moves to the “Doughboy” monument, dedicated to those who served in the First World War. The second stop is at the World War II Monument at the beginning of the Milford green. Next is the Veterans Memorial Flagpole, the tallest flagpole in the state, with tributes inscribed on its concrete base. The fourth stop is at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument which was erected in honor of those men who fought during the Civil War. The fifth and final stop is at the Vietnam and Korean War Monument, which was dedicated on Veterans Day 1986.
Join your Milford community as we Thank Every Vet who has sacrificed so much in the name of American freedom.
