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A solemn ceremony to honor veterans

The ceremony was organized by members of the Philadelphia American Legion Squadron 292.

George Cross, III, a veteran, salutes the flag during a ceremony at the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors.
George Cross, III, a veteran, salutes the flag during a ceremony at the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

George Cross III (facing, center) and Albert Johnson (back), both veterans, salute the American flag during a ceremony at the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Members of the Philadelphia American Legion Squadron 292 organized the Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11.

The memorial was commissioned to honor the state’s African American military men who had served the United States in wartime. It was sculpted by J. Otto Schweizer and was originally located in a remote area of Fairmount Park. In 1994, 60 years after it was installed, the memorial was moved to its current, more visible location at Logan Square and 20th Street.