Attend the Library’s 66th Veterans Day Commemoration

Written by Joe Armstrong, Communications Director, Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

CHPL’s in-person Veterans Day Commemoration at the Downtown Main Library returns after the COVID-19 pandemic and the reopening of its South Building!

The Veterans Day Commemoration is free and open to the public. Join us at the Downtown Main Library on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11 at 10:30 a.m.

66th Annual Veterans Day Commemoration

This annual event dedicated to the men and women who serve our country is back featuring:

• Keynote remarks from Persian Gulf War and the Bosnian War Veteran Kelly Knox
• March of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Pipes and Drums
• Musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra playing, "The Star-Spangled Banner," "The Armed Forces Medley," and "Taps"
• Posting of the Colors by the Diamond Oaks JROTC
• Wreath Presentation from local veterans groups
• Commemorative keepsake for veterans, while supplies last

New this year is a showcase of the recently-opened Veterans History area at the Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center. Attendees will be able to browse local veterans history and record their own stories and memories at the Story Center Studio.

Information about the Veterans History Project will also be available during the event. The Veterans History Project is coordinated by the Library of Congress and records local veterans’ memories through oral histories and documents, which are accessible via the website. To learn more about the project, go to CHPL.org/veterans.

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Kelly Knox, 2024 Keynote Speaker

This year's keynote remarks will be from Persian Gulf War and Bosnian War Veteran Kelly Knox.

Knox is nationally recognized for her expertise in effective treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and for educating the public about evidence-based treatment for mental health.  She has served as commander of the Greater Cincinnati Women’s Post 644 of the American Legion and has been on the advisory boards of the Joseph House for Homeless Veterans and Volunteers of America.  Knox is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Military Officers Association of America. She continues to use her emergency response skills as a mission pilot with the Civil Air Patrol.

Knox represents the national Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team in para-cycling events and actively promotes adaptive sports by volunteering with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This led her to become the 2010 Bike MS Ambassador, and she has personally raised more than 10,000 for MS.  

"Through our Eyes" Women Veterans Showcase

Following the 66th Veterans Day Commemoration, you're invited to explore a special exhibit made possible with the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center! The "Through Our Eyes" women veterans showcase will be on display in the Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center on the 2nd Floor of the Downtown Main Library.

Beginning at the VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System in Reno, Nevada, the showcase has moved to additional VA sites, including Boston and Cincinnati Medical Centers. This year, the showcase joins the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library’s Veterans’ Day celebration to honor local women veterans by sharing their stories and photographs.

The showcase draws on the Cincinnati VA’s My Life, My Story program (MLMS), which equips volunteers to interview patients about their lives. From these interviews, volunteers craft brief life histories that, with the patient’s permission, become part of their electronic medical record, and therefore, accessible to their entire care team. While the stories collected through MLMS honor veterans’ legacies and can be shared with loved ones, the program is designed to bring the person within the patient to the forefront now.  

The “Through Our Eyes” showcase will be open to the public from Thursday, November 7 through Friday, November 29 at the Downtown Main Library at The Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center.

For questions about the “Through Our Eyes” showcase or MLMS volunteer opportunities, please contact Dr. Nam-Ha Brown.

Learn more about the 66th Veterans Day Commemoration at the Downtown Main Library on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11 at 10:30 a.m. on our events calendar, opens a new window.