WEBVTT

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The first celebration of veterans began 
on November 11 1918, when an armistice  

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agreement was signed to end World War One. 
An armistice is an agreement to end the war.  

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From that year forward, November 11th was 
then declared Armistice Day, to celebrate  

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the men and women who served in the war and 
fought for peace. As soldiers returned home,  

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they held parades and other events to publicly 
thank the veterans for fighting for our country.  

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In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower renamed 
Armistice Day as Veterans Day, so that all  

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veterans from all wars could be celebrated for 
their sacrifice and service instead of just those  

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who served in World War One. America has more 
than 18 million veterans across our country,  

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every year on November 11th, we celebrate past and 
present service members who defended our country.  

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Veterans come from many different branches of the 
military, each branch of the military is different  

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and serves a specific purpose and mission to 
protect America. You will notice that each service  

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wears a different uniform. The Navy, protects our 
oceans and seaways around the world, maintaining  

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the freedom of the seas. The Coast Guard's 
mission, is to protect our national coasts and  

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waterways from potential threats. The Air Force's 
mission, is to fly, fight and win in the air.  

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The Marine Corps mission, is to fight on 
land, sea and in air to win our nation's  

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wars. The Army's mission, is to fight and provide 
dominance and land operations. Working together,  

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each of the military branches defend 
our freedom all around the world.  

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Rock Island Arsenal has 6,500 employees 
that work towards supporting our military.  

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These employees, including 500 soldiers, work to 
provide leadership and equipment for important  

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missions right here from the middle of the 
Mississippi river. The missions they accomplish  

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help soldiers around the world, in fact, civilians 
and soldiers have been supplying the military  

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from Rock Island Arsenal for more than 150 
years. That means that the Arsenal has a lot  

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of veterans to celebrate going back to the year 
1862. Every year we honor our past and current  

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military members by celebrating their service 
at important events. The Rock Island Arsenal  

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also has a national cemetery where military 
heroes and family members are laid to rest.  

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We honor their service on important days, like 
Veterans Day, every year by gathering, telling  

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their stories and saluting their contributions to 
remember their lives. Although today is important,  

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we can show our support to the services any time 
of the year by thanking them for their service.   

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Do  you have a veteran or active duty military 
member in your family? Ask your family if  

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there are veterans that you can thank for their 
service to America, remember, veterans protect  

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our freedom and we owe them our thanks for their 
courage, honor, and patriotism and their sacrifice.