The German parliament votes for an annual veterans’ day to honor military service

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The German parliament has voted to introduce an annual national “veterans’ day” to honor people who have served in the military, which often has struggled to gain recognition in the country. The proposal was drawn up by the parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition together with the main opposition conservative bloc. It was approved Thursday by nearly all parties in the Bundestag, parliament’s lower house. It says a “veterans’ day” should be celebrated “publicly and visibly” every June 15. It also calls for improved follow-up care for people wounded while serving in the German military, the Bundeswehr.