(Photo provided) The front page of The Marietta Times from Nov. 11, 1918.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Tuesday we celebrate veterans and the contributions they have made to keep our country and the rest of the world safe.

Veterans Day occurs on Tuesday this year because that date, Nov. 11, is the 107th anniversary of the end of World War I. Originally Armistice Day, the day was renamed in 1954 to honor all veterans.

The Marietta Times from that day in 1918 is a remarkable example of history being reported as it was happening. With international, national and local coverage, the front page gave a great overview of the events on the day they occurred.

The order from French military field marshal Ferdinand Foch was simple. “To commanders in chief: Hostilities will cease on the whole front as from November 11 at 11 a.m. The allied troops will not, until further orders, go beyond the line reached on that date at that hour.”

President Woodrow Willson issued a statement to the country. “My fellow countrymen: The armistice was signed this morning. Everything for which America fought has been accomplished. It will now be our fortunate duty to assist by example by sober, friendly council and by material aid, in the establishment of a just democracy throughout the world.”

In a lengthy address to a joint session of congress, the Times reported, Wilson said “Gentlemen of the Congress: In a these anxious times of rapid and stupendous changes it will lighten in some degree my sense of responsibility to perform in person the duty of communicating to you some of the large circumstances of the situation with which it is necessary to deal.”

He then outlined the sweeping 14-point terms of the agreement.

At home, Marietta was set to party, The Times reported.

“Will Marietta celebrate?

“Marietta will.

“That affair of Thursday night was just a practice work-out.

“The Citizen War Board … announced that tonight at 7 o’clock would begin what is expected to go down in history as just about the greatest demonstration that Mariettans past and present have ever witnessed.”

A parade was scheduled to form at 7 p.m. near the Lafayette Hotel. It would travel up front to Putnam where it would then travel up to Fourth Street before making its way back down Scammel, ending at Muskingum Park where the Marietta band would give a concert of patriotic numbers.

Businesses in town had closed at noon, as had the saloons in town.

Marietta, the Times reported, had “been a turmoil of excitement and noisy joy all day.”

All the news on the front page that day was not joyful. The Times also reported the death of William Bogard, a 24-year-old man from Lowell. Bogard joined the army on Oct. 4, 1917, as part of the Washington County quota. He was sent overseas in May. He had worked at farming and in the oil fields until joining the war effort. He had been part of a machine gun unit when killed on Oct. 11.

Art Smith is online manager of The Times, he can be reached at asmith@mariettatimes.com