World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France on June 28, 1919.
However, fighting had stopped seven months earlier with an armistice, or an agreement to stop fighting, between the Allied nations and Germany on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The date, November 11, is now remembered as Veterans Day, a holiday to thank and honor all who served in the United States military.
The celebration first started on November 11, 1919, as Armistice Day. At the time, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson said the 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…” The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says there were plans to observe the day with parades, public meetings, and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
In 1926, the U.S. Congress officially recognized November 11, 1918, as the end of World War I. And in 1938, the body passed legislation to make the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday. Known as “Armistice Day,” it was a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.
After American involvement in World War II and the Korean War, at the urging of veterans’ organizations, Congress changed the law in 1954 to call it Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.
The date for Veterans Day was changed in 1968 with the signing of the Uniform Holiday Act. With the law, Congress intended to create a three-day weekend for Americans by moving the holiday to a Monday in November. Many states and veterans’ organizations did not agree with this decision. They continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11, leading to confusion. So, Congress returned the holiday to its original date.
Many Americans are confused about Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the other holiday honoring military service, which is observed on the last Monday in May.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says that both holidays “were established to recognize and honor the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.”
Memorial Day is set aside as a day for remembering and honoring those who died in the service of their country. For most Americans, it also marks the unofficial start of summer and a popular weekend for vacationing.
Veterans Day is largely intended to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military, living or dead, and in wartime or peace.
To ensure that people remember Veterans Day, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act in 2016. The law called on the people of the United States to observe a two-minute national moment of silence on Veterans Day at 2:11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time across all states and territories of the United States.
I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.
