Veterans Day 2026: Bay Pines VA Medical Center honors those who served during annual ceremony

BAY PINES, Fla. - Several hundred veterans, family members and members of the community gathered at Bay Pines VA Medical Center to commemorate Veterans Day.

Public speakers highlighted America's culture of sacrifice, the effort made to care for veterans and the untold numbers who have raised their hand in service.

Bay Pines Veterans Day ceremony

What they're saying:

One of those was Lynette Rushton of Largo, whose father served in Vietnam.

Rushton says she has seen treatment of veterans improve over the years, particularly when it comes to those who served during the Vietnam era. She also urged private businesses do more to help care for those who served.

But Wednesday was all about the show of support, which was in full force.

"I think it's getting better. I think we have a long way to go though," Rushton said. "I love seeing the young people out here and people bringing young people."

"We're here for them. We serve four, almost five generations of veterans," David VanMeter of Bay Pines VA Medical Center said. "I've got 100-year-old veterans and those that are recently coming out of service. To know we're here for them, that's the message I would like to [teach] to everyone who served and who hasn't seen us, for them to come."

Honoring century of service

Timeline:

Veterans Day was started as Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to mark the end of World War I.

It was changed to be called "Veterans Day" in 1954 by an act signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower so that veterans of all of America's wars would be honored.

Originally, the intention was to cease all business at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

From the Revolutionary War to the war in Iran, more than 40 million Americans have served in at least one branch of the U.S. military.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from speeches and public statements delivered at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center annual Veterans Day ceremony, including remarks from attendee Lynette Rushton and medical center representative David VanMeter.