On November 11, across the United States, veterans from all walks of life are honored. Lives that have been lost are remembered. Beautiful ceremonies are held to keep the tradition alive. But, how much do you really know about this day’s history?
– Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day. Armistice Day celebrated the end of the First World War and was first recognized as a national holiday in 1926
– It wasn’t until 1954 that President Eisenhower officially changed it from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. This was after Daymond Weeks, a WWII survivor, made a push and came to an agreement with the President to have a holiday to remember and honor all veterans.
– In 1985, President Ronald Reagan called Weeks the ‘Father of Veterans Day’
– In 1968, Congress passed a bill to move Veterans Day to the fourth Monday of October. The ‘Uniform Holidays Bill’ went into effect three years later. However, in 1975 President Ford moved Veterans Day back to its original date to preserve its’ original meaning.
– The United States isn’t the only country to commemorate Veterans. Canada, France, and Britain all have similar holidays all around the same time to honor those who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.
America’s veterans all stood for freedom, morality, and for the good will of humanity. The war each veteran fought in matters little on Veterans Day. The soldiers sacrifice for everyone in the United States is what is celebrated. Veterans Day is a day to show how grateful the people of this country are of the brave women and men that put their lives on the line.
Sources: http://absoluterights.com/11- things-you-didnt-know-about- veterans-day/ , http://www.history.com/ topics/holidays/veterans-day- facts
Photo courtesy Ann Neumann