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History
Veteran's Day is November
11 and it used to be called Armistice Day. It is the
anniversary of the armistice (means truce or stopping of war) which was
signed by our Allies and the Germans in 1918,
ending World War I, after four years of war. At 5 A.M. on Monday,
November 11, 1918 the Germans signed the Armistice, an order was issued
for all firing to stop; so the fighting of the First World War ended.
This day began with the laying down of arms, whistle blowing, parades, and
businesses closing. All over the world everyone was happy and
celebrated by dancing in the streets.
In November of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued his Armistice Day
proclamation. The last paragraph set the tone for future (Armistice)
Veteran's
Days:
"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with
solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and
with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it
has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show
her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation."
In 1927 Congress asked President Calvin
Coolidge to issue a proclamation calling upon officials to display the
Flag of the United States on all government buildings on November 11, and
inviting people to celebrate the day in schools and churches. It
was not until 1938 that Congress passed a bill that each November 11
"shall be dedicated to the cause of world peace and ...hereafter
celebrated and known as Armistice Day."
That same year President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill making the
day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia. For sixteen years the
United States formally celebrated Armistice Day, with special ceremonies
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the President or his
representative placed a wreath of flowers. In many other communities, the American
Legion was in charge of the observance, which included parades and
religious services. At 11 A.M. all traffic stopped, in tribute to the
people who died in the war, then guns were fired and taps sounded.
After World War II, many new veterans did not remember World War I.
Many people had not even been born during it. The word, "armistice,"
means simply a truce; so as years passed, the significance of the
name of this holiday changed. Leaders of Veterans' groups decided to try
to correct this and make November 11 the time to honor anyone who had fought
in various American wars, not just in World War I.
In Emporia, Kansas, on November 11, 1953, instead of an Armistice Day
program, there was a Veterans' Day observance. Ed Rees, of Emporia, was
so impressed that he introduced a bill into the Congress to change the name
to Veterans' Day. After this passed, Mr. Rees wrote to all state
governors and asked for their approval and cooperation in observing the
changed holiday. The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress
on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on
all citizens to observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those
who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting
an enduring peace. The President referred to the change of name to
Veterans' Day in honor of the servicemen of all America's wars.
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