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VETERANS DAY
Veterans Day is an American holiday for honoring
war veterans. It is celebrated on the same day as Armistice Day or
Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the
anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. It
is both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states. All major
hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the
11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the
Armistice. Armistice Day was first commemorated in the United States by
President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and 30 states made it a legal holiday.
Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all Americans to observe
the day and made it a legal holiday nationwide in 1938.
The holiday has been observed annually on November 11 since that date -
first as Armistice Day, later as Veterans Day. When holidays in the
United States, with the exception of New Year's Day, Christmas Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Independence Day were moved to Mondays to create
long holiday weekends, the celebration was moved to the fourth Monday of
October. However, after protests by veterans groups it was moved back to
November 11th in an effort to make the holiday more important.
Unfortunately for those groups, the result was the opposite. Even though
it is a federal and state holiday, it is formally observed in most parts
of the United States only by government offices and banks. Many schools
and almost all businesses stay open on regular schedules. As a result,
most public transit systems are on regular schedules. Most businesses
cite the holiday's proximity to Thanksgiving (when many businesses close
for a four-day weekend) as the main reason for staying open on Veterans
Day; but many schools and most businesses also stay open on Columbus
Day, a full month earlier.
On November 11, 1953, the citizens of Emporia, Kansas staged a Veterans
Day observance in lieu of an Armistice Day remembrance. Congressman Ed
Rees of Emporia, Kansas subsequently introduced legislation in the
United States House of Representatives to officially change the name of
Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Following a letter-writing campaign to
secure the support of all state governors in the observance of this new
holiday, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day (enacted
June 1, 1954), to honor those who served.
The day has since evolved as a time for honoring living veterans who
have served in the military during wartime or peacetime, partially to
complement Memorial Day, which primarily honors the dead. There has been
some discussion of whether a person's veteran status depends upon
his/her retirement or discharge from any of the armed forces. However,
the term applies to any that have honorably served their country or that
have served in a war zone as directed by their superior officers or as
directed by lawful orders given by their country.
Veterans Day, without an apostrophe, is the official designation, but it
is commonly misprinted as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars
and advertisements.
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