Today is not just another day for the nation. It’s the day that we set aside to honor those that have courageously served in the United States Armed Forces.
Not to be confused with Memorial Day, Veterans Day is meant to celebrate the men and women who gave their blood, sweat, tears, and time to the military. It’s a time of reflection and a time for people across the nation to pay their respects to the veterans that fought to keep this country safe.
On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued a statement to his countrymen on the very first Veterans Day, where he explained what the day meant to Americans. Originally, Veterans Day was called “Armistice Day” and was observed as a day to mark and honor the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at the end of World War I.
On May 13, 1938, A Congressional Act (52 Stat. 35; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved November 11 to be recognized as a legal holiday every year. The act stated that it was “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.””
A few years later, in 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks coined the idea of expanding “Armistice Day” among all veterans who served, not exclusively those who died during World War I. He presented this delegation to General Dwight D Eisenhower, who fully supported National Veterans Day.
Raymond Weeks led the first celebration in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947, and on May 26, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law.
That same year on June 1, Congress amended the bill replacing “Armistice” with “Veterans.” Raymond Weeks held his Veterans Day celebration in Birmingham every year until he passed away in 1985.
Ultimately, while Veterans Day may mean a lot to civilians, it means a lot more to those who served.
Robert Randall, former Sergeant of Marines at VMGR-234 in Fort Worth, told the Dallas Express, “Veterans Day to me, it taking time to appreciate all the men and women who have served to protect the freedoms that are so valuable.” He continued saying, “It’s a day to look back on the sacrifices that make America. Taking time to honor those who sacrificed for their country.”
Veterans Day is specifically for veterans to be recognized in the spotlight for their hard work and dedication to this nation.
