MARTINS FERRY — Martins Ferry’s City Park is awash in red, white and blue, thanks to the efforts of local civic groups and students to honor veterans for the upcoming Veterans Day holiday.

Since civic groups’ Veterans Day program has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, the organizations decided to show their appreciation for local veterans by placing American flags along the park’s pathways and around its monuments.

Bruce Shrodes, a Martins Ferry councilman and member of the Martins Ferry Lions Club, said the Martins Ferry Elks Club and businessman John Ayers decided to donate the flags for Veterans Day, which is Wednesday.

“The Martins Ferry Police Department and the Martins Ferry Lions Club, with help from the Martins Ferry High School Chi-Phi club, decided to honor our veterans with a display of flags,” Shrodes said.

After Veterans Day is over the flags will be collected and used again to decorate the graves of veterans at Riverview Cemetery for Memorial Day in May.

“It’s our city’s way of saying thank you to all of our veterans,” Shrodes said of the display at the park.

Veterans Day originally was called Armistice Day and was established by President Woodrow Wilson in November 1919.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, though World War I officially ended June 28, 1919, fighting actually stopped sooner between the Allies and Germany when an armistice “went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.”

“For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of ‘the war to end all wars.’ In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: ‘To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations … ‘” according to the VA.