As Veterans Day approaches, residents across Massachusetts are preparing to celebrate servicemembers with parades, remembrances, deals and more.
The holiday, originally known as Armistice Day marking the end of World War I before its name was changed in 1954, will honor all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces on Tuesday this year.
Though Boston hosted its annual parade on Saturday, towns including Lexington, Westfield, Fall River, Quincy, Natick, Fairhaven and more will host local parades on the holiday itself.
In Boston, Gov. Maura Healey, Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago and administration officials will join veterans from across the Commonwealth in the Great Hall of the State House at 11 a.m. for an annual ceremony. Past ceremonies have included presentation of awards, taps and ROTC performances, and a military POW/MIA remembrance candle lighting.
The Marines are also marking the 250th anniversary of their 1775 founding by a resolution of Continental Congress on Monday, Nov. 10. The Marine Veteran Foundation of Cape Cod hosted an annual birthday celebration on Saturday in Hyannis, gathering veterans to honor the branch’s legacy.
On Monday, the 11th Annual Veterans Town Hall will also take place in Marblehead, featuring U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton. “This non‑partisan, community‑centered gathering provides veterans with a platform to share how their service shaped their lives and offers the broader community an opportunity to listen, learn, and connect,” the Congressman advised.
On Tuesday, veterans can celebrate the holiday with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The event, which requires advance registration, offers veterans the chance to “test their gaming skills against players from the New England Patriots,” along with free food and drinks.
Chelsea Veterans Services will also host a gathering, lunch and speaker from the Wounded Warrior Project early Tuesday at Clark Avenue Middle School.
In Jamaica Plain, residents can volunteer in honor of the holiday with Community Servings and the New England Gator Club. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, volunteers can “honor the spirit of service this Veteran’s Day” by helping prepare meals for individuals and families across Massachusetts and Rhode Island living with critical and chronic illnesses.
This Veteran’s Day will also see the return of Weymouth native Private Alfred Thomas Langevin, U.S. Army, after more than 80 years. Langevin was killed in action during World War II and had been classified as Missing in Action since 1944.
The Private’s remains returned home over the weekend and received a dignified transport to Keohane Funeral Home in Weymouth. On Monday, the public are invited to “join the Langevin family, the Town of Weymouth, veterans, and community members to welcome Pvt. Langevin home and pay tribute” at a funeral procession and burial with full military honors.
The stipend given to the Keohane Funeral Home to manage Pvt. Langevin’s services will be donated to New England Center and Home for Veterans and the team “encourages others to do so in recognition of Pvt. Langevin’s service and sacrifice.”
The funeral procession will begin from McDonald Keohane Funeral Home at 10 a.m. and pass through Jackson Square, where Pvt. Langevin was born. At 11 a.m., a graveside service and burial will be held at the Fairmount Cemetery.
A Marine reads from a scroll during the United States Marine Corps 250th Birthday celebration at BCEC on Saturday. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)