Countless lives of men and women have been lost protecting our freedom. Whether they were killed in a foreign land stopping terrorists or during the attacks on Pearl Harbor, all veterans sacrificed something. Veterans Day isn’t just a day where you go to an assembly and put your hand over your heart during our National Anthem, it’s a day where all sacrifices in the name of our country are recognized. It is to recognize the famous heroes who sacrificed everything and to recognize the soldiers who were lost and never found, or killed and unidentified.
1918 saw the unofficial end to World War I. On the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour, an armistice was signed for a temporary cessation of hostilities. This was widely considered to be the end of the Great War, even though the treaty was actually signed on June 28, 1919. This was the first war of the modern era that encompassed the entire world. The widespread use of chemical warfare by poisonous gas was entirely new to the soldiers, as well as the invention of tanks, flamethrowers, and the spread of machine guns. This brought new rules to war and sent soldiers to positions where they were out of their element. Because this war was so terrifying and brutal, with death tolls as high as 1.5 million during a single battle, President Woodrow Wilson unofficially proclaimed Nov. 11, 1919, as the first commemoration of Armistice Day in the United States.
19 years later, in 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially signed a bill into Congress that made that date each year a legal holiday as Armistice Day. The name stayed the same for another 16 years until 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill enabling the name to be changed to Veterans Day to honor all the soldiers and military personnel who had fought or will fight for our country. To celebrate the holiday, he expressed his gratitude to all the veterans who had served, he called for the forming of the National Veterans Day Committee, and he issued the first Veterans Day proclamation, saying, “On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”
With Veterans Day being over 100 years old, it’s easily one of the most significant holidays.
Keeping that in mind, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s important to remember that we should be thankful for our veterans; the best way to do this in the holiday season is to show your appreciation. Many military personnel have been through indescribable situations out in the field, and further, no one can tell what another person is going through. So this season, let’s make sure to thank at least one veteran for their service, whether it be a family member or a stranger, it’s sure to make someone’s day.
