At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, community members gathered at the Veterans Historical Plaza in Newhall to honor those who have served our country in uniform.

The ceremonies, beginning with a traditional two-minute silence, included a demonstration from the Valencia High School Air Force JROTC rifle exhibition team and addresses from city council members.

While a JROTC color guard and Knights of Columbus honor guard stood at attention, the flags flying over the plaza were slowly lowered and replaced.  The local Knights assembly performs this service twice yearly, on Veterans and Memorial Days.

Veterans of every American conflict from World War II to Iraqi Freedom were in attendance, including Grenada and Lebanon. The gathering included people of all ages, including scouts in uniform and families of veterans.

“[For the veterans] that have been around a long time, it’s fantastic that they are still here that we still remember them,” said John Springer, Marine veteran and member of the Knights of Columbus.

November 11 was originally set aside by congress in 1938 as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of hostilities in World War I. After the enormous sacrifices of World War II and the Korean War, Congress chose to rename the holiday in 1954 and dedicate Veterans Day to all American veterans.

To see more pictures from this event, visit KHTS Around Town.