Facts about Veterans Day, and thank you to all who serve

Shannan Younger — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 16:06:47 +0000

Nov. 11th is Veterans Day here in the United States, and Remembrance Day or Armistice Day in other nations. It is a time to say thank you to all those who have served. As Maya Angelou says, ““How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”

Here are some facts about Veterans Day.

* Veterans Day was first celebrated on Nov. 11, 1919 to mark first anniversary of the end of the fighting of World War I. The Allies and Germany agree to an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. (Technically, though, WWI was not officially over until June 28, 1919 on the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.)

President Woodrow Wilson said of that first observance in 1919, “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.”

* The observance may have started in 1919, but in the United States, Congress did not make it official until 1938. Then, in 1954, the name changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

* In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law placing the observance on Nov. 11 and there it has remained.

* The holiday started with World War I, but World War II is the war in which the largest number of Americans served. More than 16 million Americans become service members then, according to the 2009 Veterans Day Teacher Resource Guide. Now, there are approximately only 855,070 WWII veterans alive, according to the World War II Museum.

* California is the state that is home to the most veterans, with 2 million veterans calling the Golden State home. Texas and Florida are next, with 1.6 million vets living in each state, reports the Census Bureau.

* Killeen, TX has the high percentage of residents who are veterans, with 28.9% citizens having served. Close behind is Clarksville, TN, with 24% of residents being veterans.

* Why do we spell it Veterans Day and not Veteran’s Day? “Veterans Day does not include an apostrophe but does include an ‘s’ at the end of ‘veterans’ because it is not a day that ‘belongs’ to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans,” explains the Office of of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

* Veterans Day is separate and distinct from Memorial Day. Memorial Day, celebrated in May, honors those who lost their lives in service to our country, and Veterans Day, celebrated in November, honors all who have served and focusing on thanking living service members, past and present. The Office of of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs explains, “Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.”

PRIOR POST: An open letter to Grover on Sesame Street’s 46 anniversary

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Facts about Veterans Day, and thank you to all who serve