Multiple Veterans Day events held around the San Mateo County

“Whether it’s peacetime, wartime, overseas or stateside they wore the uniform and did what their country asked them to do and that kind of service is something to celebrate,” Beach said.

Beach reflected on her time in the service and said if she could jump out of an airplane, there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.

“There are a lot of challenges for folks who train in the military. They teach you how to be physically and mentality tough and those are skills that can serve people in their work and personal life,” Beach said. “Also, the team building aspect, when you learn how to work with people who have diverse backgrounds, who are different from you, are from a different background but together you are united behind a common mission, it is really empowering and really amazing to be a part of.”

Personally, she plans to celebrate the day as she always does, by raising her Army and American flags from her house with her husband, who is also an Army veteran, and reconnecting with friends she served with.

The American Legion in Redwood City will host a ceremony and community event at Courthouse Square, located at 2200 Broadway, at 10:30 a.m. with coffee and doughnuts. At 11:11 a.m., there will be a moment of silence to recognize Armistice Day. Some of the notable guest speakers will include Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, District 4 County Supervisor Warren Slocum and Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale. The event will feature a car show with military vehicles on Broadway, between Hamilton Street and Middlefield Road, and live music in the Courthouse Square with refreshments will be available, according to a press release.

For Slocum, who served in Vietnam in 1968 for the U.S. Army, Veterans Day is a time to reflect on the idea of service above self.

“It's a time to honor, remember and to say thank you. Especially to those families who paid the ultimate price. They are our spouses, our siblings, our children, our neighbors and our colleagues,” Slocum said.

There are around 27,000 veterans in San Mateo County and the Veterans Service Office is there to help, Slocum added.

“I'm proud to say that we also have a Veterans Commission who works to find creative ways to help vets and their families,” Slocum said.

Millbrae will be celebrating with a salute and flag raising, which will be held at Millbrae City Hall in Constitution Plaza at 621 Magnolia Ave. at 11 a.m., according to a press release.

Golden Gate National Cemetery will be holding an observance celebration at 1300 Sneath Lane in San Bruno featuring U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Band of the West at 10:30 a.m. The celebration will include a bagpiper, Capuchino High School Chamber Singers, a Blue Star wreath presentation and speeches from active service and retired veteran service members.

The history of Veteran’s Day dates back to World War I, in 1918, and was originally referred to as Armistice Day because it was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when a temporary cessation of fighting between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect. It was a day for celebration with parades, public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. It wasn’t until 1954 when President Eisenhower made a proclamation to replace the word "Armistice" with "Veterans" as a national recognition for all who have served in the armed forces at any point in time to be recognized and honored, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs website.