In United States, Veterans Day is observed on November 11 of every year as a federal holiday.
On the eleventh hour of November 11, 1918, fighting ceased during World War I. This was seven months before the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, which marked the official end to the conflict. Because of these origins, the nation celebrates Veterans Day as we recognize it today and takes time to honor America’s veterans “for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
The U.S. holiday began as a celebration of the end of WWI. But in the wake of even deadlier conflicts, November 11 became a day to honor all military veterans.
Besides just thanking veterans for their service (which you should absolutely do!), why not use the holiday as an opportunity to learn more about its history and about our veterans themselves?
Origin of Holiday
It occurs on November 11 every year in the United States in honor of the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 that signaled the end of World War I, known as Armistice Day. Then-President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day in America as well, with the first commemoration happening in 1919.
It was originally called Armistice Day and has evolved over time. The U.S. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
Armistice Day Becomes Veterans Day
The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized “National Veterans Day,” which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. Weeks argued that since the United States already celebrated Memorial Day in May to remember fallen military members and World War II had been fought in the interim, the significance of the holiday should be expanded.
Later, U.S. Representative Edward Page 2 Rees of Kansas proposed a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982.
The Facts About Veterans Day
It’s not “Veteran’s Day” or “Veterans’ Day”—Veterans Day is actually spelled without an apostrophe.
Other countries have similar celebrations for their veterans. For example, Canada and Australia both honor November 11th as “Remembrance Day,” and Great Britain also calls their observance “Remembrance Day,” but it is held on the Sunday closest to the 11th of November.
It differs in meaning from Memorial Day—the United States holiday which honors specifically those who lost their lives while serving in the military.
Every Veterans Day and Memorial Day, Arlington National Cemetery holds an annual memorial service. The cemetery is home to the graves of over 400,000 people, most of whom served in the military.
A Meaningful Veteran’s Day Thank You
If you know a Veteran and would like to offer a Veteran’s Day thank you beyond just a few words or by displaying the flag, one option is to give the gift of a membership in Together We Served.
Together We Served is the nation’s premier online community dedicated to helping people find a veteran. Each day, we connect Americans who have proudly worn the uniform of each branch of the United States military.
For any branch of the service, the more information that is provided, the more successful Veterans will be in locating the Veteran they seek. Information such as the entry date and/or discharge date can be beneficial.
The key is the comprehensive military records posted by the Veterans themselves, including memories and photographs. By using TWS, members never have to worry or wonder whether their contact is welcome because our members have chosen to participate.
Through its powerful Veteran locator, TWS enables Veterans to find those with whom they served by matching the service information entered on their TWS Military Service Page with the service information of all other Veterans in its membership. As a TWS member, members can review matching members and connect with fellow Veterans.
The Veteran’s Day thank-you gift of a membership in TWS will help Veterans try to locate people they served to re-establish friendships. Sometimes, however, one Veteran needs to find another because they need a witness to a specific event or for medical claims purposes. Regardless of the reason a TWS membership can be a rewarding gift that will reap dividends for many years.
Read About Other Celebrities Who Served
If you enjoyed learning about honoring veterans on Together We Served, we invite you to read the stories of other remarkable celebrities who served on our blog. In addition to our profiles of celebrities who served, we share military book reviews, veterans’ service reflections, famous military units, and more on the TogetherWeServed.com blog. If you are a veteran, find your military buddies, view historic boot camp photos, build a printable military service plaque, and more on TogetherWeServed.com today.
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