Veterans

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, officially received its name in America in 1926 through a congressional resolution. In 1917, Pres. Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that the World War I would be the “War to End All Wars.” If these idealistic hopes had succeeded, November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. Within years of the holiday’s proclamation, however, war broke out again in Europe. Millions more Americans were called to fight and many died in battle; in order to honor them and those who would serve in future wars, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day. A day reserved for remembrance and reflection was not immune, however, to the political debates surrounding most American wars, and Veterans Day often became a time when conflicting views about the necessity of specific wars were aired.

At 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, World War I came to an end with the signing of the cease-fire agreement at Rethondes, France. One year later, November 11 was set aside as Armistice Day in the United States to remember the sacrifices made by men and women during the war. Veterans’ parades and political speeches throughout the country emphasized the peaceful nature of the day, echoing the theme of national unity against tyranny. Since the Civil War, Memorial Day (originally Decoration Day) had traditionally been a day when the dead of all conflicts were honored during reverent ceremonies, and their graves decorated with flags and flowers. Veterans of the Civil War and the Spanish–American War continued to honor their dead on Memorial Day in May (April in some southern states), whereas Armistice Day was designated as a national day commemorating America’s participation in World War I.

After 1945, Americans continued to observe Armistice Day on November 11 as the Legion opened its membership to a new generation of veterans. Together they joined each year in the same rituals and commemorative ceremonies established previously. In 1954, Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming that November 11 would now be called Veterans Day, to honor veterans of all American wars. In 1971 Pres. Richard Nixon declared it a federal holiday on the second Monday in November. Seven years later, however, the nation returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to November 11, regardless of where it fell in the week. Thus, the historical significance of the date was preserved and attention once again was focused on the initial purpose of Veterans Day—to honor the nation’s veterans, not to provide Americans with a long weekend.

Despite its origins in World War I, each generation of veterans has embraced Veterans Day as a moment for collective reflection. Each war leaves in its wake a plethora of monuments, holidays, cemeteries, museums, and archives that serve as reminders of the human sacrifice war entails. These remain, like Veterans Day, effective in providing people with a sense of common identity as Americans no matter how divided they may otherwise be by class, region, gender, religion, or race.

from CREDO "Veterans Day." Encyclopedia of War and American Society