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Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11. This date is the
anniversary of the cessation of hostilities of World War I, as the war ended on November
1, 1918.
World War I and Armistice Day
Veterans Day was originally known by the name of Armistice Day. President Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed Armistice Day to be a holiday on November 1, 1919. The original holiday was to
celebrate the valor of all of the soldiers who fought in World War 1. Armistice Day was
also a day to honor the peace that had come with the end of the war.
State and Federal Attention
Armistice Day received increasing reverence and popularity among the states. The American
public embraced Armistice Day in respect for veterans of World War I who sacrificed
greatly to restore peace to the world. In 1938, Armistice Day was declared a Federal
Holiday by congress.
A Need For Change
Unfortunately, the hope of lasting peace was dashed by the outbreak of World War II and
later the, the Korean War. As it turned out, Armistice Day which honored the veterans of
World War I, failed to properly honor heroes that emerged from the later wars. It was
clear that Armistice Day needed to be changed in order to honor all of the soldiers who
fought for American freedom and peace.
Veterans Day
A simple name change made it possible to expand the holiday to honor veterans from every
war. By changing the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954, the appropriate
honor and traditional intent of the holiday was restored.
Monday Meddling
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which changed several holidays to
be observed on Mondays. Veterans Day was one of the holidays affected by this change. As
the act became law in 1971, Veterans Day observance was changed from November 11th, to
occur instead on the fourth Monday of October.
Although other federal holidays were changed to be celebrated on Mondays, people
especially disapproved of the change to Veterans Day. Changing the date of a revered
holiday for the mere purpose of gaining an extra free day on the weekend did not feel
appropriate to many citizens. A wave of disapproval followed the change and many states
returned to the November 11 celebration.
Back to Normal
By 1975, federal legislation was passed to return Veterans Day to its original date of
celebration. This legislation took effect in 1968, restoring the date of Veterans Day to
November 11.
Traditions
Veterans Day is a day to honor both living and dead American veterans who have served in
every war. One way to veterans is to take a moment to quietly ponder the contributions
they have made. Writing letters or calling a veteran on the phone can let them know that
their sacrifices are appreciated.
It is common on Veterans Day to bring flowers or small flags to the
resting places of deceased veterans. Parades and speeches are frequently have also been
traditional for Veterans Day. Additionally, a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
in Arlington, Virginia brings national attention and honor to American veterans.
Be sure to remember November 11 as a day to honor our veterans and
the sacrifices they continually make for us today. Our soldiers deployed throughout the
world are performing their duties to preserve the freedom and peace we enjoy. Let us
remember, not only on Veterans Day, but on every day of the year how important and
essential their contributions are.
- Article by Wes Fessler
Sources:
1. army.mil, “The History of Veterans Day”
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/vetsday/vetshist.htm [Accessed 5 July 2007]
2. encarta.msn.com, “Veterans Day”
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567436/Veterans_Day.html
[Accessed 5 July 2007]
3. americanfamilytraditions.com, “Veterans
Day”
http://www.americanfamilytraditions.com/veterans_day.htm [Accessed 5 July 2007]
4. infoplease.com, “Veterans Day”
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/veteransday1.html [Accessed 5 July 2007]
5. Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, “Veterans
Day” volume 27
Rand McNally and Company, ISBN 0-8343-0051-6
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