On Nov. 11, we celebrate Veterans Day to remember and honour those who have served our military since its establishment. First declared by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954, Nov 11 has long been celebrated across the globe to mark its association with World War One’s end.
At first, Armistice Day was observed across many nations with memorial services and celebrations to commemorate the end of World War I fighting. Though officially, World War I ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919; most hostilities actually stopped on Nov 11, 1918 as hostilities came to an end at 11 hours on 11 days 11 months – at which point many saw Nov 11 1918 as being “the end of all wars.”
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), former President Woodrow Wilson first established Nov. 11 Armistice Day on this date in 1919 by saying so in a Proclamation issued from his administration.
Armistice Day will bring us in America much pride for those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their nation and gratitude for a victory that freed us from hatred while providing America an opportunity to advocate peace and justice worldwide.
In 1921, an unknown American soldier who had served during World War I was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C. The gravesite thus became an important memorial site for veterans across America.
An official VA document on Veterans Day notes its origins as follows: Prior to World War I ending at 11 a.m. November 11 1918 (11th hour 11th day of 11th month), similar memorial ceremonies took place across Europe with one unidentified soldier being laid to rest at Westminster Abbey or Arc de Triomphe for each nation on this date – thus commemorating “Armistice Day.”
That same VA document explained how Armistice Day officially came to be observed as part of an annual commemoration following a 1926 congressional resolution. Furthermore:
After being adopted as an official national holiday by Congress 12 years later, Armistice Day became an annual national observance on November 11th. Had World War I truly been “The War to end all Wars”, November 11 would likely still be known as Armistice Day today; unfortunately just several years after Armistice Day had been established war broke out again across Europe with 16-1-million Americans taking part; 477K of these lost their lives while in service and over 292k died battle.
Veteran’s Day first appeared as a designation at an Alabama celebration in 1947; later that same year the Department of Veteran Affairs released its Veterans Day Document which laid out this day in detail and its timeline:
Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran and organizer of “National Veterans Day”, hosted events to recognize veterans in honor of Armistice Day on November 11 in 1982. Following U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas’ proposal of changing Armistice Day into Veterans Day through legislation passed in 1954 by Congress with President Eisenhower signing it off, November 11 became Veterans Day and Raymond Weeks was later awarded with President Reagan’s Presidential Citizens Medal recognizing this annual celebration nationwide.
1968 legislation temporarily moved Veterans Day to November 11th; however, by 1978 it had reverted back to commemoration on that date given its significance for veterans and Americans alike.!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s).
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