Yesterday wasn’t just any Sunday. Nov. 11 is Veterans Day – a.k.a. the day set aside to honor the brave men + women who have fought to protect our country. If you didn’t celebrate yesterday, don’t worry – the holiday is nationally observed today.

The holiday (originally called “Armistice Day”) was first observed on the first anniversary of the end of WWI (Nov. 11, 1918). In 1926, Congress passed a resolution for an annual observance of the day, but it wasn’t until 1938 that the day officially became a national holiday. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed the name to “Veterans Day” to honor all veterans, not just those who served in WWI.

Thanks to everyone who sent us photos and memories of local veterans. Scroll down to see them all.

DYK:

🇺🇸16.1 million veterans alive today have served in 1+ war

🇺🇸~558,000 of the Americans who fought in WWII are still alive

🇺🇸Canada, Great Britain, Australia + France also celebrate the veterans of WWI + WWII on (or near) Nov. 11

Honoring local veterans 🇺🇸

We asked you to send us the local veterans you think deserve special recognition this year. Here are your submissions:

👤 Doug G., Army veteran and National Commander, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, USA

“Here's a shot of me at 23 years old outside the Army hospital in Da Nang, Vietnam after I was wounded in the right leg – a flesh wound that healed in the country and I was promoted from Platoon Leader to Company Commander. The photo attached is me standing just before my Silver Star and Purple Heart ceremony. Everybody in my Platoon was killed or wounded in the fight. I wasn't happy about receiving medals at that point. And the look on my face reflects what I was thinking at the time. I remember this like it happened yesterday. 3 weeks later I went back out to the jungle to fight again.” – Doug G., National Commander, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, USA

👤 Bucky S., WWII veteran (at his 98th birthday)

👤 Homer, a WWII Army veteran

“We serve a 95-year-old client named Homer. He is a WWII Army veteran and his mind is still so sharp (he remembers the names and faces of every single volunteer who comes to deliver his meals and keeps a scrapbook full of his visitors). Our volunteers and staff love delivering to him and hearing about his stories of service. He is fascinating—as one of the few remaining WWII vets, his story is worthy of being shared! As the attached picture shows, he’s never without his Army hat!” – Virginia V. (from Meals on Wheels GVL)

👤 Dorothy K., Marine Corps veteran

"My mom, Dorothy K, served as a Seargent in the US Marine Corps at the end of WWII from 1945 - 1947. She’s very proud of her service and is living in Greenville these days." – Catherine M.

👤 Ray T., Army veteran

“I counted up my time spent away from my family during an Army career and it came to about four years. My second child did not recognize me when I came home from a tour overseas. Talk about hurting a dad’s feelings when your baby girl won’t let you hold her. You cannot compare the camaraderie you establish with those you serve with to anything I can think of. When I hear taps I still tear up thinking of my friends no longer here. Veterans sacrifice a portion of their life, and sometimes their lives, to serve their fellow man. But what stories we have!” – Ray T.

👤 L Martin

👤 Thomas Sullivan, Army veteran

“Thomas Sullivan is originally from New Jersey, but in the last four years has made Greenville his home. He is a 2008 graduate of West Point Military Academy and served as an engineer officer in the US Army for over 6 years. Tom currently is the business unit leader at Michelin and serves as the president of the West Point Society of Upstate South Carolina. Tom's family and friends couldn't be more proud of his dedicated service to his country. Tom is an incredible leader, friend, storyteller, and a fantastic addition to the Greenville community. – Sara E. (Tom’s girlfriend)

👤 Jack R., Navy veteran

“I'm a retired Navy Captain. When I went to college I had no intention of joining the military. At college, I threw away all the $100 envelopes because I knew they were trying to recruit me for ROTC. One day, during my Sophomore year at Duke University, I got a letter in the mail offering $900 a month. That one was different so I kept it.

When I got back to my room that evening I opened it. It was a recruiting pitch for the Nuclear Navy. I sent in for more information. When I got that information, I talked to my Dad about it and he arranged for me to speak with a former Submarine Commanding Officer...

I interviewed with 3 different Nuclear Engineers. Each one had a problem diagrammed on the board. I would recognize something and talk about it. That was enough to get an interview with the 4 Star Admiral in charge of Naval Reactors.

I was ushered into Admiral McKee's office. It was enormous. I was at least 12 feet from the door and the Admiral's desk. He started asking me questions without looking at me. I spent about 15 minutes in his office. The only question I remember is the one he looked at me and asked. He asked, "What guarantee do I have if I let you in my program you will keep your grades up?" No one had ever asked me that question before. I had always kept my grades up. I had to think for a moment. I thought about why I kept my grades up and I decided it was my choice to do it. I answered the Admiral "Well Admiral Sir, whether you let me in your program or not I will keep my grades up for me, I've always done that and will continue to do so."

I think that answer got me in the Nuclear Program. I enlisted in the Navy that very day as an E-3 enlisted rank...

A great thing did come out of my time on the Barb [submarine], I met my wife of 30 years in a Country Western club while the Barb was in the local Dry Dock getting some much-needed depot maintenance.” – Jack R.

👤 Horace L., WWII veteran

Served in France during WW2 during the Battle of the Bulge. He passed away 12 years ago.

👤 Bryan S., 101st Airborne 1-187 Infantry veteran

👤 Roy M., WWII Navy veteran

👤 Jess B., WWII veteran + Purple Heart recipient

👤 Herb C., Army veteran, served in WWII + Grayson B., Marine Corps veteran

"My father Herb Crews, WWII veteran and lifelong Greenville resident. He’s 93 years old now. He served in the Army Air Corps and participated in the European Theater (Normandy Invasion, Battle of the Bulge, Liberation of Paris, Evacuation of Dachau, etc.)

Also, my son Grayson B., Greenville resident and now a local real estate broker is a USMC veteran, served in the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS New Orleans and USS Boxer, and participated in the Battle of Marjah (Helmand, Afghanistan, 2010)." – Beth C.

👤 Kevin Rumsey, Air Force veteran and Richard Rumsey, Navy veteran

👤 Gray H., Aviation Ordnanceman USS Carl Vinson CVN 70

Gray is graduate of Riverside High School Class of 2016. He is stationed in San Diego, California. Gray has served on 2 Western Pacific deployments and was part the carrier’s historic visit to Vietnam in 2018. He also participated in RIMPAC War Games Training in Hawaii this summer with 26 other nations.

👤 Norman B., Navy veteran

👤 Jeff B., Air Force veteran

Jeff served admirably for 36 years, across much of the world. His last assignment before retirement in 2014 was to serve as Chief of Staff for the US Virgin Islands Air National Guard.

👤 Sean D., U.S. Coast Guard

👤 Jim D., Army veteran

👤 Matthew O., Currently serving 82nd Airborne Ft Bragg

👤 Robert A., Army veteran

Currently stationed at Ft. Bragg (NC), has served 2 tours in Kuwait and 1 tour in Qatar with the U.S. Army.

👤 Hoover L. in 1952

👤 Dan H., Army veteran

Served from 1979-1991 and in Desert Storm.

👤 Barbara G., Marine Corps veteran

Barbara joined the USMC after 1.5 years of college (not knowing what she wanted to major in). She chose the USMC because of their prestige (and also because the enlistment was 2 years compared to the other services 3-4 yrs.) She then went through Boot Camp at Parris Island and was housed in WWII barracks with open squad bays with around 50 recruits in bunks.

After graduating from Boot Camp, she was on to Quantico, VA to work in Data Services. The large computer was an IBM 360 which took up a large room and probably processed as much data as a laptop does now. One of her monthly jobs was to run the checks for both civilian and military payroll on the base. The IBM 1401 chunked out the checks slowly enough that you could read the information. It took all day to run 6000 checks.

She lived in (again) WWII barracks – only now with plywood “walls” partitioning the bay into 10 areas with 5 WMs to an area (2 bunk beds & a single rack).

"Quantico was a great place and I have lots of good memories of eating at Diamond Lou’s (best cheesecake!!) in the town of Quantico (which is located within the gates of the base & was about 6 blocks by 6 blocks). Spending nights at the NCO club. Being more men than women, we never were at a loss for dance partners or drink buyers J. We were also a $1.50 train ride from Washington D.C. and spent many weekends exploring all the monuments and galleries. ($10/night room for military at a sparse but clean hotel). The WMs during that time did not have any type of combat training. The closest a WM could get to Vietnam was a billet in Japan. Things are very different now in all the services, some good – some not. The reason the Woman Marines don’t have a “nickname” like “waves” for the Navy is that when women were first allowed to join the Marines, the commandant of the Marine Corps stated that these troops will be women first and Marines second. So basically no cute name allowed. Now I will tell you that some of the men called us “BAMs” (broad-assed marines), but we came back with calling them “HAMs” (half-assed marines). It was all in fun."

She returned to college after 2 years and finished her degree on the GI Bill.

👤 John P., Presidio of San Francisco, Sixth US Army Headquarters

[no photo provided]

👤 Tom W., Air Force veteran

👤 Jerry S., Air Force veteran

👤 Various veterans

"Many of these guys are veterans who volunteered for the CCC work." – Toni C.

👤 Lacey T. (Manager at Kilwins) with her brother Joseph, active duty Marines, and her grandfather, retired.

👤 Matthew C., Army veteran

We want to say thank you to all of S.C.’s veterans + active duty military. There are no words to describe how much we appreciate your bravery + the sacrifices you make.

– Jordan