*Footnotes

While Memorial Day honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in wartime, Veterans Day honors all the men and women who performed their duty, including those who lived to tell about it.

* Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. People thought World War I was the “war to end all wars.” Congress declared Armistice Day a legal holiday in 1938. But in the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, the holiday’s name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. The nation’s primary observance still occurs each Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery.

* Red poppies became a symbol of World War I casualties because of a popular poem, “In Flanders Field,” about an especially bloody battle in Belgium. Every November since the 1920s, veterans groups have sold artificial red poppies to raise funds for disabled and needy veterans. This year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars have introduced the Buddy Poppy Puppy, a plush, white stuffed animal spotted with red poppies. The Buddy Poppy Puppy costs $5 plus shipping and handling. Call (800) 563-6664.

* Many local posts of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will have open houses Thursday. The city of Burbank will hold a Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at McCambridge Park War Memorial, near the corner of Amherst Drive and San Fernando Road. There will be speeches, and the John Burroughs High School Marching Band will perform “Heroes: A Tribute to American Veterans.” Donations will be accepted for the construction of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Call (818) 238-5327.