Veterans Day became an official federal holiday to honor American veterans of all wars. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution making it an annual observance. However, it goes back to 1918, when it was called Armistice Day.
During world War I, the Allied nations and Germany agreed to an armistice or cease fire on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Known as the “war to end all wars”, WWI officially ended over seven months later when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day, observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Listed below are Veterans Day events observed in Hawaiʻi.
Veterans Day parades & commemorations in Hawaiʻi
Hawaiʻi Island Veterans Day Parade in Hilo
One of Hawaii’s largest Veterans Day parades in downtown Hilo will be held on Saturday, November 4th, 2023, 10 a.m. The 16th Annual Hawaii Island LIVE Veterans Day Parade. will be held on Saturday before Veterans Day (11 Nov) to maximize participation. Plus, several long-held island locations host ceremonies that would conflict if we did the parade on the same day. More info: www.hivetparade.org
Oʻahu: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific – Veterans Day Ceremony
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is the site of the annual Veterans Day Ceremony. November 11, 2023, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. More info: Veterans Day Ceremony At The National Memorial Cemetery Of The Pacific | Veterans Affairs (va.gov) and Veterans Day Ceremony 2023 (theovc.org)
Oʻahu: Pearl Harbor Veterans Day Sunset Ceremony fantail of the Battleship Missouri Memorial
The 2023 Veterans Day observances worldwide will culminate with a special sunset ceremony onboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor on November 11, 2023 from 4:30 P.M-5:30 P.M. Guests must be seated by 4:14PM. This year marks the 80th anniversary of a pivotal chapter in World War II’s illustrious saga, the Battle of Guadalcanal. Free and open to the public. For guests without access to Ford Island, a complimentary shuttle service is available from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Please note bags are not allowed on the shuttle. More info: Veterans Day Sunset Ceremony – USS Missouri
Oʻahu Wahiawa Lions Veterans Day Parade
The Wahiawa Lions Club hosts its annual Veterans Day Tribute, the oldest and largest parade of its kind in Hawaiʻi. Since 1940, the Wahiawa Lions Club has performed countless community service projects, such as the summer time school supplies drive but it is perhaps best known for its Veterans Day Parade. More info: 77th Wahiawa Lions Club Veterans Day Parade Nov 11, 2023 at 10AM (ourwahiawa.com) and Wahiawa Lions Club – Lions e-Clubhouse
National Parks free admission day November 11
On Veterans Day, November 11 it is free to visit national parks, which includes Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park on Maui. More info: Free Entrance Days in the National Parks (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Established as a National Park in 1916, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park offers visitors many different landscapes and moʻolelo (stories) that chronicle the history and culture of the first Hawaiians who settled here over five centuries and who lived, worked and worshipped on this sacred ground. Since the 19th century, adventurers, scientists, philanthropists, and every day individuals have also left their mark on the landscape.
- Maui: Haleakala National Park. Another important cultural place for Native Hawaiians, sites found within the Summit and Kīpahulu areas of Haleakalā National Park are spoken of in numerous mele (songs or chants) and Hawaiian oral legends. One of the major stewardship efforts of Haleakalā’s is to preserve the Hawaiian Islands’ native ecosystems.
Free meals & food discounts for for Veterans Day
Check our list of free meals & food discounts for Veterans Day.
Image: Depositphotos.com
Calendar of free and cheap events
Listed below are events calendar for the next 60 days. They include all kinds of free and cheap things to do across the Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina.
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