The History of Veterans Day

What Is Veterans Day?

Originally known as Armistice Day, this celebration began as a time to honor the courage of those who gave their lives in service to our nation. It fell on November 11 due to the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. To honor all soldiers of all conflicts, the celebration was renamed "Veterans Day" in 1954. However, most Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day

The Story of Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was first established as a legal holiday in the United States to commemorate the end of World War I, proclaimed on November 11, 1918. November 11 was declared as the "Day Dedicated to the Cause". Established in 1938, the law establishes global peace and later honors and is known as 'Armistice Day. This new legal holiday honored veterans of World War I.


The 83rd US Infantry Regiment served in Korea and World War II before being demobilized in 1954. With the passage of this act on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day of remembrance for American veterans of all conflicts. Congress amended the 1938 Act by striking out the word "armistice" and substituting the word "veterans."


By observing four national holidays on Mondays—Birthday, Washington Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day—the Uniform Holiday Monday Act of 1968 guaranteed three-day weekends for federal employees. As a result of this act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October. Many states disapproved of this choice and kept the holiday on its original date. On October 25, 1971, the first Veterans Day under the new constitution was celebrated amid much misunderstanding.


President Gerald R. Ford eventually signed a measure on September 20, 1975, moving Veterans Day back to November 11 from 1978. Since then, Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11.

How Celebrating the Veterans Day Holiday

The federal government observes the November 11 holiday on a Monday (if it falls on a Sunday) or a Friday on a non-working day such as a Saturday or Sunday (if the holiday falls on a Saturday). The U.S. Office of Personnel Management determines when the federal government is closed. NGOs are free to close or stay open as they see fit, independent of decisions made by federal, state, or local governments regarding their operations. State and municipal government shutdowns are determined locally.


United States Senate Resolution 143 passed on August 4, 2001, declared the week of November 11 through November 17, 2001, as "National Veterans Awareness Week". The proposal calls for efforts to educate primary and secondary school students. Veterans' sacrifices and contributions.

The Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Memorial Day commemorates military personnel who died or suffered combat-related injuries while serving their country. Veterans Day is a day set aside to praise and commemorate living veterans who have valiantly served in the military – in times of war or peace – while also remembering deceased veterans.


Below is President Dwight Eisenhower's letter appointing Harvey V. Higley to head the Veterans Day National Committee of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


The White House Office

October 8, 1954

Dear Mr. Higley:

I have officially proclaimed November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day, which I urge all our citizens to observe. I sincerely hope that all veterans, their organizations, and the general public will work together to ensure that this day is properly and widely celebrated. I am proposing the creation of a National Veterans Day Committee in the belief that it will be very helpful in organizing its planning. Due to your strong personal involvement as well as your official responsibilities, I have appointed you as the Chairman. You are free to select more members for the committee, and I kindly request the heads of all executive branch departments and agencies to extend whatever assistance they can to the work of the committee.

I have full confidence that our country will celebrate Veterans Day 1954 in a befitting manner.

Sincerely,

Theodore D. Eisenhower

5 Interesting Things About Veterans Day

1. There is a good reason why it is called "Veterans Day," not "Veteran's Day,"

The absence of an apostrophe may seem like a semantic choice, but it actually has a clear and deliberate meaning. Veterans Day, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, is a day to celebrate the veterans who are currently in front of us, not one of their own.

2. It used to be celebrated on the fourth Monday in October as Veterans Day.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act, approved by Congress in 1968, mandated that all federal holidays be observed on Mondays, including Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Columbus Day, and Washington's birthday. Three-day weekends were introduced to encourage tourism and other leisure-related activities that would help boost the economy.

Regarding Veterans Day, which has significant historical and patriotic significance, many states disagreed with the change. Thus, on September 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 9497, moving Veterans Day to November 11, 1978.

3. Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

Although it is now widely recognized as Veterans Day. November 11 was first called "Armistice Day" in honor of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918. Although World War I was called the "war to end all wars," it fell short of that goal. By the early 1950s, millions of Americans had fought in WWII and the Korean War. To further include and recognize the contributions of this younger generation of veterans, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day on June 1, 1954.

4. Marines celebrate their service birthday and Veterans Day with a 96-hour liberty

The Marine Corps celebrates its birthday on November 10 with a ceremonial ball and cake-cutting ceremony. This special day occurs the day before Veterans Day, so many Marines observe both holidays at the same time with 96 hours off.

5. A group once pushed to rename then-Armistice Day as "Mayflower Day."

A small group of Americans led by Francis Carr Stifler of the American Bible Society began to oppose the idea of ​​marking Armistice Day after the start of World War II and realized that WWI did not end all conflicts. Since the Mayflower Treaty was signed on November 11, 1620, the group proposed that Armistice Day should be officially replaced with Mayflower Day.


They argued that the Mayflower Compact should have been given its own name because it served as the basis for both the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Of course, the group's proposals didn't gain traction, and Armistice Day eventually evolved into the Veterans Day we recognize today.