Veterans Day is a US federal holiday honoring military veterans.
Veterans Day is an opportunity to publicly commemorate the contributions of living veterans and to show appreciation toward them.
The date is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and commemorates the ending of World War I in 1918.
World War I – known at the time as "The Great War" - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.
However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of "the war to end all wars."
In November 1919, President 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…"
source: va.gov
Great Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th:
Canada has Remembrance Day, and a typical gesture is to wear a Poppy as a visual pledge to never forget those who sacrificed for our freedom.
Britain has Remembrance Sunday, which is the second Sunday of November.
In Europe, Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.
It used to!
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 Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to November 11, due to the important historical significance of the date.
The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
How Memorial Day and Veterans Day are different
Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday in May, honors service members who have died in military service to the nation. The holiday has roots dating back to the post-Civil War era, when citizens would place spring flower memorials on the graves of fallen soldiers.
Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
The military men and women who serve and protect the United States come from all walks of life; they are parents, children, grandparents, friends, neighbors and coworkers, and are an important part of their communities.
Some are also Kellogg EW Students!
Here are some facts about the veteran population of the United States:
(source History.com)
living veterans served during at least one war as of April 2021: 5.9 million veterans served during the Vietnam War; 7.8 million veterans served in the Gulf War era; 933,000 veterans served during the Korean War
of the 16 million Americans who served during World War II were still alive as of April 2021
of veterans are women. By 2046, the share of female veterans is expected to increase to about 18%. The number of female veterans is also projected to increase slightly, from around 2 million in 2021 to approximately 2.2 million in 2046
- President Abraham Lincoln, 1863, in the Gettysburg Address.