Some had told their stories before, but others were sharing them publicly for the first time.

A coalition of retired military nurses and others is pushing to award the Congressional Gold Medal to World War II nurses.

The $153 billion legislation, one of three fiscal 2026 spending bills lawmakers are weighing as they move to end the longest government shutdown ever, would allocate $133 billion in discretionary funding for the VA and about $20 billion for military construction.

The Senate passed legislation to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end as a small group of Democrats ratified a deal with Republicans despite searing criticism from within their party.

In a life filled with milestones, Irving Locker celebrated a new, unexpected one last week: He became a published songwriter.

The actor, musician and philanthropist had already signed on to donate $1 million through his foundation to help CreatiVets purchase the building. Sinise’s involvement encouraged two other donors to help finalize the purchase.

Thousands of small, privately funded memorials stand at sites where Americans fought and died during the world wars. Experts say maintaining many of them has never been more difficult.

Sunday marked the third year of the Veterans National Parade in the heart of D.C. The celebration held ahead of Veterans Day on Tuesday is the only national parade dedicated to honoring veterans.

History was being made in Tokyo Bay that day in September 1945, and Leo “Sheek” Bowden Jr. was slated to play a small role in the formal end of World War II.

Communities across the country are canceling or scaling back Veterans Day events. Some groups are finding alternative ways to honor veterans, including providing Thanksgiving dinners instead of holding parades.