Loveland will continue its longstanding tradition of celebrating Veterans Day, but not with the parade that has occurred for decades.
“There’s no parade because we can’t bring that many people to gather on the street,” said Tom Parker, chairman of the Veterans Day efforts for the Associated Veterans of Loveland.
The Associated Veterans will host a small rally at Dwayne Webster Veterans Park, but they cannot draw a large crowd and attendees must maintain physical distance. That will occur directly after a fly-over of F-16s by the Colorado National Guard at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11, and a caravan of veterans to the rally.
The changes are due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One thing that will not change, however, is that bell ringers will drive through Loveland neighborhoods from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m., ringing the bells of freedom.
The armistice ending World War I was signed at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, in Paris, France. The time in Loveland was 4 a.m. So that is when the bell ringers begin their journey around Loveland every year, a tradition that they believe is unique to Loveland.
The tradition of celebrating the armistice in Loveland dates all the way back to 1918 with residents gathering around a flagpole at Fourth Street and Cleveland Avenue with gunshots, bells and noisemakers as they learned of the end of fighting, according to a history column written in 2015 by resident Olivia Lowe.
Loveland has continued its history of celebrating Armistice Day, and later Veterans Day, throughout the century since that time.
Armistice Day officially became a federal holiday in 1938, and then in 1954, Congress officially changed it to Veterans Day to honor those who fought in all wars — a law signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Throughout the years, Loveland has had different kinds of Veterans Day ceremonies, marking the day every year. This year, it was important to the Associated Veterans to continue that tradition.
“I think Veterans Day has always been an important thing to Loveland,” said Parker. “As veterans, we could not let the day go by without doing something to recognize it.”
Though the celebration will be different this year, residents are still encouraged to remember and honor all veterans on Nov. 11. Parker said people can do so in many ways — simply thank a veteran, make a donation to veterans’ service organizations, stop to think about those who have served, fly a flag.
He asks people to think of all veterans but particularly those who have served in recent years, who are struggling through really difficult times. He mentioned the suicide rate among veterans.
According to the most recent report from the U.S. Veterans Administration, 17 veterans died by suicide per day in 2017 — a rate that is 1.5 times higher than nonveteran suicides after adjusting for population differences. And veterans ages 18 to 34 had the highest suicide rate, according to the 2020 report.
The Veterans Administration report outlined several efforts to provide needed mental health care to veterans, but Parker said it also is important to bring awareness to the community.
“People need to realize the tough times they are going through,” Parker said. “We had it tough in Vietnam, but these guys are a whole new warfare … Think about the things they are going through.”
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October 19, 2020 at 12:11AM
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Loveland to celebrate Veterans Day with bell ringers, rally; annual parade canceled - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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