Today, veterans, friends, and families gathered for a service in New Haven’s Center Church on the Green to thank those who served and are serving in the United States Military.
Charlie Pickett who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the National Guard, said Veterans Day was originally founded to honor those lost before an armistice ended World War I. He said he thinks of the holiday as a day to build peaceful relationships.
“Veterans day is a day for all Americans; a day to consider how we Americans can perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding," he said. "It is a day not only to foster peaceful relations with other nations, but by extension, to also seek harmonious congress with each other.”
Pickett said he builds relationships among veterans through New Haven’s Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter. He founded the city’s VFW chapter earlier this year.