Veteran's Day November 11th

Monday, November 11^th, we honor all men and women who have served our country.  Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919.  The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11th with the appropriate ceremonies.  A Congressional Act was approved May 13, 1938 which made the 11^th 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’.”

In 1945, World War II Veteran, Raymond Weeks, from Birmingham, AL, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all Veterans, not just those who died in WWI.  Mr. Weeks led a delegation to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of National Veterans Day.  Weeks led the first national celebration in 1947 in Alabama and annually until his death in 1985.

On June 1, 1954, Congress amended the bill that was signed into law on May 26, 1954, replacing “Armistice” with “Veterans,” and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

Participate in honoring all Veterans on Monday and be sure to say “thank you”.

-Resource Wikipedia; “The History of Veterans Day” – Jackie Craft, Regent