Photos: Veterans Day Parade

*Fort Jackson soldiers march on Sumter St. All Photos by Sean Rayford - November 11, 2021 in Columbia, SC*

Veterans Day is rooted in what was first celebrated as Armistice Day in 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of hostilities of World War I. It’s a war that still has significant influence on Columbia, South Carolina.

Fort Jackson, on the northern boundary of the capital city, is the largest U.S. Army initial entry training center and was built to prepare soldiers for WWI. Construction began in December of of 1917, eight months after the United States declared war on Germany. Currently, the fort trains about 50% of all soldiers entering the Army.

In 1945 the Veterans Day holiday expanded to honor all veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Other nations with ties to the Allies also celebrate similar holidays on November 11.