A Day to Remember: Clovis Veterans Memorial District going all out for Veterans Day

Clovis Veterans Memorial District, located at 808 4th Street, is set to host a myriad of activities for Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2017. “The cost of entrance is you showing up,” said CVMD CEO, Lorenzo Rios. “This is your tax dollars at work, this is your community coming together to celebrate and it’s our honor to have the opportunity to facilitate this event.” (Photo by Daniel Leon/Clovis Roundup)

An armistice between the Allied Powers and Germany on Nov. 11, 1918 signaled the end of World War I – and gave birth to the national holiday known today as Veterans Day.

Originally called Armistice Day before Congress replaced “Armistice” with “Veterans” in 1954, the day celebrates the service of U.S. military veterans from the five branches of service – Army, Marine Corps., Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Veterans Day (Nov. 11) falls on a Saturday this year and Clovis Veterans Memorial District is asking the community to come out and celebrate the holiday as they honor veterans with a day of activities. CVMD’s goal for the annual event to bring veterans together and educate the community on the origin of Veterans Day.

“During these national holidays, we need to take a step back and realize it’s more than drinking beer and having a barbeque,” said CVMD CEO, Lorenzo Rios. “It’s also about celebrating what’s right in America. On Veterans Day, we celebrate a freedom but we have a lot of folks that are out there still serving. We have some that have returned and my goal is to see what we can do to make sure that those who have returned realized that they have returned to a home that still loves them. [Veterans Day] is about bringing veterans together but it’s also about bringing the community together.”

CVMD’s Veterans Day activities will include the following:

VFW Pancake Breakfast (7 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

The Veterans of Foreign Wars kick the day off with a pancake breakfast inside the Independence Room with all the proceeds going toward supporting veterans programs.

Car Show & Outdoor Activities (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

The outdoor activities on Veterans Parkway will include a car show, vendors and a live performance by local country artist Jason Cade.

“We’re going to bring in local cars and wonderful patriots who love showing off their cars,” Rios said. “It’ll bring people out to enjoy seeing these beautiful works of art that our veteran hands have produced. We’ll also have Jason Cade. He’s a son of the Valley who is doing some remarkable work, a very talented artist. He’ll be performing outside on Veterans Parkway from noon to 3 p.m.”

Veterans Film Festival (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

This film festival, held inside the auditorium, will feature documentaries created by local veterans and community members.

“Remember the Fallen” Exhibit (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

A photographic war memorial that honors our country’s fallen from the war on terror will be displayed inside the Veterans Room.

“This exhibit honors our country’s fallen from the war on terror from 911 to the present,” Rios said. “This is all veterans from the state of California. When people see it, they’re going to be amazed of how many souls the state of California has lost in defense of this great nation. That will be a moment to realize that freedom isn’t free, there’s a cost to it.”

Veteran Memorabilia Exhibit (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

For this exhibit, local veterans will display their memorabilia inside Boardroom A/B.

“This exhibit will feature a lot of artifacts that veterans bring out and some of them will provide you a collage of pictures and they’ll tell you a story of what their service was like,” Rios said. “And the one thing you’ll find is that not one story is like like other. Each person is unique in their background, their experience, why they love this country, why they chose to serve. It’ll be an opportunity for folks to walk through and enjoy those different exhibits.”

Patriotic Concert (11 a.m. to noon)

The community will get the opportunity to experience a patriotic fanfare performance from the Clovis Community Band.

Veterans Day Dinner (6 p.m. to 8 p.m)

Veterans Day activities conclude with a dinner for veterans and guests in the Liberty Ballroom with doors opening at 5 p.m. A Veteran and one (1) guest are invited to participate in a dinner. Tickets are required and may be reserved and picked up at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District. Priority is given to the veterans that live within district boundaries.

A native of Woodlake, Daniel Leon is a recent graduate of Fresno State with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Daniel served as Sports Editor at The Collegian, Fresno State’s student-run newspaper, prior to joining the Roundup. Got a story idea? Email him at editor@clovisroundup.com