Remember Those Who Served Before You
(November 11, 2010) |
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| MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, Jacksonville, N.C. (MCN
- 11/10/2010) — As Nov. 11, grows near, many people make
plans for a free day off work or school. What some fail to
realize is why they have this day off.
It is not just a random day that everyone decided to take
off and call a holiday. It is Veterans Day.
It is a day to remember all the service members who fought
before us and those who passed on during the battles we read
about in history books, or learned about in the news.
Veterans Day began on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh
day, of the eleventh month in 1918 when the allied nations
and Germany agreed to an armistice temporarily stopping
hostilities between the countries involved in World War I.
After the countries signed the Treaty of Versailles June 28,
1919, the Great War ended. That same year, President Woodrow
Wilson declared the first “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11. The
original concept of Armistice Day involved a two-minute
break in the work day beginning at 11 a.m. according to
http://www.infoplease.com/.
Beginning Nov. 11, 1921, the day also marked the founding of
the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery,
also known as The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. The country
began holding parades and celebrations to commemorate the
day.
By 1926 more than 27 states proclaimed Nov. 11, a holiday.
Armistice Day was officially marked a federal holiday on May
13, 1938. The U.S. chose the day to recognize the WWI
veterans and “the war to end all wars.”
After World War II and the Korean War, the country had
millions of veterans due to the mass mobilization of troops
during these conflicts. The need to change the name of this
holiday became apparent to the veterans' service
organizations of that time.
The 83rd U.S. Congress changed the name from Armistice Day
to Veterans Day in 1954, commemorating veterans of all wars.
“I have today signed a proclamation calling upon all of our
citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 as Veterans
Day,” said President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a letter to
Harvey V. Higley, administrator of Veterans' Affairs, Oct.
8, 1954. “It is my earnest hope that all veterans, their
organizations, and the entire citizenry will join hands to
insure proper and widespread observance of this day.”
Americans celebrated Veterans Day on Nov. 11, until 1971
when the “Monday Holiday Law” changed the national Holiday
to the fourth Monday of October. However, most states
continued to observe the holiday on Nov. 11, and in 1978
Congress returned the holiday to its original date.
Today, people celebrate Veterans Day in numerous ways. The
President lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery at
the Tomb of the Unknowns, which contains the remains of
three anonymous service members from WWI, WWII and the
Korean War.
Americans celebrate Veterans Day mostly the same way they
celebrated it when congress first established the day 91
years ago. It is a continuing reminder to remember those
service members who sacrificed in past wars for the
country's freedom and continued to keep it safe throughout
every war in U.S. history. |
By USMC Cpl. Dave Beall
Marine Corps Air Station New River
Copyright 2010 | |
Reprinted from
Marine Corps News
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