Honoring a tradition that was set nearly a century ago, Gila Valley residents gathered outside of Graham County Courthouse on Tuesday to pay tribute to this nation’s veterans.

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, major hostilities of WWI formally ended when Germany signed the Armistice.

Afterward, Nov. 11 was commemorated as the anniversary of the ending of WWI and was named Armistice Day.

Gila Valley Honor Guard Chaplain Mary Jackson and Col. Jacey Briley of Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista salute the flag during the Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Graham County Courthouse on Tuesday. Photo by Jon Johnson

On June 1, 1954, Congress changed the name to Veterans Day to pay homage to the veterans of all of this country’s wars.

Steve Oller, commander of the Gila Valley Honor Guard, emceed the event and introduced the speakers: Safford Mayor Ron Green, Col. Jasey Briley, chief of staff of the Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, and Emilio Membrila, a decorated WWII veteran and former POW.

Green said he was proud to take part in celebrating the veterans and said people should continue to honor them throughout the year.

“On this day, let’s honor our veterans, but let’s also keep them in our hearts all year long,” he said.

Col. Briley, a return guest speaker from last year’s event, asked the crowd when the last time was that they expressed their gratitude to a member of the armed services.

“We probably use the words ‘thank you’ or some variation for at least a dozen times a day,” he said. “Now ask yourself, ‘How often do I take the time to thank a soldier, airman, marine or sailor for volunteering their life to serve my country?”’

Col. Briley said those in attendance were keeping President Abraham Lincoln’s promise to care for veterans and their families, and he thanked the audience for being there.

Membrila spoke of the camaraderie veterans have for one another and what they are charged with doing now.

“Today, we are asked to keep alive the memory of those men and women veterans who have given up their lives,” he said. “Here and on sacred plots of ground all over the world, we are called upon to keep alive those stories of heroism and self-sacrifice that were commonplace among us.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, wreaths were laid at the bases of the three memorial plaques embedded in stones that list Gila Valley veterans who lost their lives during war.