During Monday's Farmington Hills city council meeting, members of American Legion Post 346 Commander Ralph Philp, Cliff Lauzon, Jarrett Lott, Ken Reynolds, Mike Williams, Skip Nafe, and Carol Philp were invited by Mayor Jerry Ellis to open the meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Later, council member Nancy Bates read a proclamation in honor of American veterans, which Philp accepted.

The proclamation reads:

Whereas, throughout the course of history, courageous men and women have taken up arms to secure, defend, and maintain the core principles upon which our Nation’s freedoms depend; and
 
Whereas, since our Nation’s founding, more than 48 million men and women have stepped forward to serve their country and defend our land; and
 
Whereas, the veterans who served in the armed forces have protected the American way of life and have dedicated themselves to achieving lasting peace throughout the world; and
 
Whereas, the spirit of freedom is as strong as ever in our Nation as over 2.2 million men and women are currently on active duty or serving in the reserves of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, with many in harm’s way fighting overseas to defeat terrorism; and
 
Whereas, as a Nation, we are eternally grateful for the noble sacrifices made by our veterans and we honor and respect them for their service.
 
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, Jerry Ellis, Mayor of the City of Farmington Hills, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby recognize our esteemed veterans on Veterans Day 2011 and urge all residents to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of those who have served their country and defended our ideals across the world.