Saturday, November 11, 2017

Veterans Day


Today we in the U.S. celebrate Veterans Day. It is a day of remembrance which officially ended WW I ("the war to end all wars," or the "Great War," as it was originally called) on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In the U.S., it is known as Veterans Day, although it is a worldwide event. Other countries celebrate it as Armistice Day and/or Remembrance Day. It is a day dedicated to world peace.

Please remember it is NOT Veteran's or Veterans' Day, but Veterans Day.  It's a day that belong to those brave souls, living and dead who have served their country.

Veterans Day was first celebrated on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. The day's observation included parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief pause in business activities at 11 a.m. On November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in the war was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. As an aside, unidentified soldiers were laid to rest that same day at Westminster Abbey in London and at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The U.S. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 calling the date an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

A brief visit to the web site of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs notes:

  • In 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. This was so veterans of WWII could be honored, too.
  • In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed by Congress, which moved the celebration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. The law went into effect in 1971, but in 1975 President Ford returned Veterans Day to November 11, due to the important historical significance of the date.
  • Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World Wars I and II on or near November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day (sometimes referred to as Poppy Day), while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November). In Europe, (Britain and the Commonwealth countries) it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.
  • Although it is considered a National holiday, in actuality, there are no U.S. national holidays because the states retain the right to designate their own, and the government can only designate holidays for federal employees and for the District of Columbia. In practice, however, states almost always follow the federal lead.
(courtesy of the office of the Dept. of Veteran Affairs)

Please don't forget veterans today.  They gave everything they had for their country, and their country, my country has not treated them fairly upon their return.    The suicide rate far outnumbers that of any other class of people, including teens.  I read a report that 22 veterans die each day from suicide.  This can be due to not getting the proper care they deserve, or slipping through the cracks.

We asked them to go to war, wars we started or kept alive, and when they came home damaged, battered, bruised, crushed, jobless, and often homeless due to our fractured system, we didn't keep our promise to them after they kept their promise to us.  So PLEASE hug a veteran today, no matter what country you are visiting from!


Today is Day 11 of AEDM and I celebrated Veterans Day with a history lesson and a poster offered by the United States Veterans Administration.

17 thoughtful remarks:

froebelsternchen said...

We don't have any Veterans Day - but it would be important do celebrate the men and women who have fought for our country -that’s something that should definitely be recognized.

Have a good day Elizabeth!
I am a bit busy this weekend,
Birthdays here!
oxo
Susi

Dortesjs said...

we have this to in denmark - national day

NatureFootstep said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NatureFootstep said...

nov 11 is history for you guys. In Sweden they started "Singles day" I realised this week, so they have more opportunities to sell stuff I don´t want :( I´m kind of sick of all those days

Meggymay said...

A wonderful tribute Elizabeth, we should never forget these brave men and women.
Yvonne xx

pearshapedcrafting said...

What a wonderful tribute Elizabeth! Once again I learn so much from you! Wishing you a peaceful day! Hugs, Chrisx

CJ Kennedy said...

I enjoyed learning all the history about this day.

nanskidrewski said...

Beautiful and thoughtful post Elizabeth. Thank you for sharing and honoring the veterans. Xo

RO said...

I love that you've taken the time to explain the history tied today, because it's more than a holiday or a day off. There are many joyful stories to share, but there are sad ones as you've mentioned of suicide, fighting years for rightful benefits, the depressions, and the plight of the homeless. It saddens me that more people don't recognize those who have gone to war to protect our country, but I rejoice with those who do. I don't meet many people who 'get it' the way you do when it comes to the military, but I'm sending some HUGE cyber hugs to you and Beautiful Bluebeard for the love and appreciation. Happy Saturday!!!! RO

My name is Erika. said...

You know, I should have been aware of the no national holidays in the US because here in NH there was a bugger of an argument about celebrating Martin Luther King Day back several years ago. But they are still listed as Federal holidays so I guess we call them that. I think it is a good day to remember all the veterans who served this nation, and I think Nov. 11 is way better than the October day. (Thank you President Ford I guess.) I think the historical significance is important. Hope yours is a good one. Hugs-Erika

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful tribute to our Veterans!

Happy Weekend,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

pearshapedcrafting said...

Just popped back to tell you that as far as I know the Queen will be attending the service but not laying a wreath. She will be with her husband Prince Philip but be inside one of the buildings overlooking The Cenotaph.She is handing a lot of her duties to The Prince of Wales(Charles) Chrisx

Sandra Cox said...

What a lovely tribute to our veterans, Elizabeth dear.
They do so much and get so little in return.
Thanks for the heads up on the comma:)

Linda Manning Findley said...

This says so much more than most tributes on this day ... thank you "E" for posting this .....

Kate Yetter said...

SO true! Love your post and your way of honoring those that have served.

Lowcarb team member said...

Here in the UK we have our Remembrance Weekend.

All the best Jan

Jeanie said...

Very beautifully written and thoughtful, Elizabeth. A special day and one we must remember.