Veterans Day History

By Parker Wilson

 

We had Monday off, sure that sounded amazing, but did you know why? Please, all I ask is you took some time out of your busy life on Monday to remember all the fallen heroes and ones still standing, and thanked them because without them, this day might not even exist. The paragraphs that follow detail just how and why we have this day off!

In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

After this Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all States to observe the day as a new holiday. On June 1, 1954, the name of the holiday known as Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day as a tribute for the nobility of all soldiers who have fought for or who are fighting for the United States since the revolutionary war all the way to the present. This day is set aside as a National holiday.

Veterans Day is an American holiday honoring military veterans. It is celebrated on the same day as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Veterans Day is largely intended to thank veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to United States national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served living or dead have sacrificed and done their duty.

So if you see a war Veteran even if it isn’t on Veterans Day, tell them thank you, let them know that we acknowledge their sacrifice for our freedom. And we will never forget that they put there life on the line, so we could keep our dreams alive.