Hopefully, all of us will be honoring our Veterans this November 11th. Of course, we really should be doing that every day but at least we’ll specifically be thankful for their service on this day.
As I usually do, I turn to the Internet to look up information about this particular celebration. Of course, I do understand that not everything on the Net is factual so I always try to find an authoritative source or at least multiple, different sources which share the same facts.
With that in mind, here are some Veterans Day facts you might find of interest:
- Even though you will see “Veteran’s Day” and “Veterans’ Day,” according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website, the correct spelling is “Veterans Day.”
- While World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, November 11, 1918 is generally regarded as the end of the war. This is because an armistice (temporary cessation of hostilities) went into effect between Germany and the Allied countries at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
- In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day.
- Originally, Armistice Day was to be observed with public meetings, parades and a short suspension of business at 11:00 a.m.
- Armistice Day became a legal holiday on May 13, 1938.
- On June 1, 1954, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day to honor those who fought in all wars.
- Unlike many of our US holidays, Veterans Day does not fall under the Uniform Holiday Bill of 1968. That’s the bill that creates three-day weekends. (It did fall under the bill from 1971 to 1975 but there was so much confusion and dislike for the change, it was returned to November 11th regardless of on which day of the week it falls.)
- Veterans Day is not the same as Memorial Day. The latter remembers and honors those who gave his or her life in service to our country while the former honors all who served and are serving in war or peace time.
- The US is not the only country to celebrate those who served or are serving. Canada, Australia and Great Britain call their celebration “Remembrance Day.” (Great Britain celebrates the day on the Sunday closest to November 11th rather than on the day itself.)
- According to the most recent statistics, there are over 19 Million Veterans.
I found all these items in just a few minutes on the Net – even with verifying the sources. If you have any Veterans Day information you’d like to share, just use the comment area below.