Veterans Day

We in the States celebrate this federal holiday we call Veterans Day today.  Remember, it is not called Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day because it is not possessive, but a day to celebrate and honor ALL veterans, alive and no longer living.

For the most part, the rest of the world celebrates Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.  It's the same day and basically means the same thing.  After all, Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day in the States, too.   In France and Belgium it is still celebrated as Remembrance Day.  Likewise in the Commonwealth Countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, November 11 is observed as Remembrance Day, with varying celebrations.

The history of this event goes back to 1918.  World War I (WWI), often referred to as the Great War, or the "war to end all wars," ended when there was an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in November, 1918.

This armistice led to the Paris Peace Conference, and although the fighting had stopped, it took nearly six more months for the Allies to agree to the terms of the treaty.  The official treaty, once signed in June, 1919, became known as the Treaty of Versailles.

On November 11, 1919, President Wilson announced the first Armistice Day that originally called for the suspension of business for a two minute period beginning at 11 A.M..  The day also consisted of parades and public events.

On the second anniversary of the armistice, France and the United Kingdom held ceremonies honoring their unknown dead from the war.

In the U.S., throughout the 1920s and 1930s, most states established November 11 as a legal holiday, while at the Federal level, an annual proclamation was issued by the President.  Congress passed legislation in 1938 making November 11 a legal Federal holiday known as Armistice Day.

World War II and the Korean War created millions of additional war veterans in addition to those from World War I, who at that time, was the only group officially recognized to be honored by Armistice Day.

According to VA.gov:

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Since President Eisenhower had been a 5 star general in WWII, he also believed that all veterans should be honored.  Therefore, President Eisenhower rededicated Nov. 11 not only to those who had died, but to all who had served.  President Eisenhower signed into law HR7786, the proclamation changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

That's how our Armistice Day became Veterans Day.  I hope you enjoyed this brief look back at the history of this great day.  Be sure to hug a vet today and tell him/her/them how much you appreciate their sacrifice.  And thanks for joining me on this day that affects not just those of us who live in the U.S., but affects many who know or have known a veteran regardless the country from which you visit today.

This is Day 11 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM), hosted by Leah Piken Kolidas
and I celebrated Veterans Day by sharing a bit of the history of the event.