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The history of Veterans Day
- phsnewspaper.com
- Nov 26
- 2 min read
Brettley Witte
Veterans Day is a holiday to celebrate the veterans who served in the military. Veterans Day is different from Memorial Day in May. Veterans Day was created to remember the ending of WWI on November 11, 1918, at 11 AM (11/11/1918). The war ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Veterans Day is a day for celebrating the service of all who have worn the uniform, not just those who died in combat. It is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service and sacrifice. In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day to celebrate all veterans of the U.S. Army rather than just the ones who served in World War I . Additionally, Women Veterans Day is recognized by a growing number of U.S. states that specifically honor women who have served in the U.S. military; this holiday is celebrated on June 12. A number of countries honor their veterans each year on November 11, although the name and types of commemorations differ somewhat from Veterans Day celebrations in the United States. For example, Canada and Australia observe "Remembrance Day" on November 11, and Great Britain observes "Remembrance Day" on the Sunday nearest to November 11. There are similarities and differences between these countries' Remembrance Day and America's Veterans Day. Canada's observance is actually quite similar to the U.S. celebration, in that the day is intended to honor all who served in Canada's Armed Forces. However, unlike in the U.S., many Canadians wear red poppy flowers on November 11 in honor of their war dead.
World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. However, the fighting ended about seven months before that when the Allies and Germany put into effect an armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of "the war to end all wars" and dubbed Armistice Day. In 1926, Congress officially recognized it as the end of the war, and in 1938, it became an official holiday, primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I. But then World War II and the Korean War occurred , so on June 1, 1954, at the urging of veterans' service organizations, Congress amended the commemoration yet again by changing the word "armistice" to "veterans" so the day would honor American veterans of all wars. It's a day for parades and ceremonies ; the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sees a wreath-laying ceremony, and poppies are a symbol of remembrance.
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