GREENFIELD — Community members plan to gather Saturday morning on the Greenfield Common to honor the “original spirit” of Armistice Day, which was to perpetuate peace and celebrate an end to conflict.

The gathering will take place from 11 a.m. to noon, according to Pat Hynes, a board member of the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice.

“Over the years, members of Traprock have joined others who have also gathered for democracy, to support Black Lives Matter, to oppose U.S. wars and militarism, and call for reducing the U.S. military budget,” Hynes said. “Most recently, Jewish Voice for Peace and a sister Greenfield group calling for a ceasefire in Gaza have joined. This Saturday, we will honor Armistice Day in its original spirit of friendly relations with all other countries of the world.”

The standout is part of an effort by the national nonprofit Veterans for Peace to reclaim Nov. 11, or Veterans Day, as Armistice Day, meaning a day to advocate for peace. Veterans for Peace was founded in 1985 by veterans in response to the global nuclear arms race and U.S. military interventions in Central America, according to the organization.

In 1919, then-President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. At that time, the date was regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars,” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The day was primarily set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but eventually grew to include veterans of World War II and other wars in which American soldiers fought. In 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day.

An earlier version of this article included an incorrect date for the first commemoration of Armistice Day. 

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.