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J. Scott Applewhite/AP Both Veterans Day and Memorial Day honor the U.S. military community, but the two holidays serve different purposes — and their origins are rooted in two different wars. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice DayCelebrated every November, Veterans Day honors all who have served in the U.S. military. The federal holiday is observed on Nov. 11, the day World War I ended in 1918. A year later, President Woodrow Wilson celebrated what was originally known as Armistice Day for the first time. But it wasn't until 1938 that Congress recognized it as an official federal holiday. In 1954, the holiday's name was changed to Veterans Day, to honor the veterans of all wars the U.S. has fought. In France and elsewhere in Europe, the day continues to be known as Armistice Day. Veteran's Day was actually celebrated in October for several years, though. The Uniform Holiday Act of 1968 moved the holiday from Nov. 11 to the "fourth Monday in October" to move ensure a long weekend for workers. But in 1975 President Gerald Ford returned the holiday to its original November date, due to the significance in marking the the end of the war. Memorial Day has its roots in the Civil WarIn contrast, Memorial Day specifically honors those who have died in U.S. military service. It was originally created to honor soldiers who fought in the Civil War, but like Veterans Day, was also later expanded to include those who died in all wars. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, history professor Matthew Dennis told NPR in 2005, and was celebrated on May 30. It was the day when people decorated the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War — both those who fought for the Union and for the Confederacy. The annual tradition of decorating fallen soldiers' graves with flags and flowers is believed to have originated in Waterloo, N.Y. That tradition is still carried on today all over the country. Almost a century later in 1971, Congress switched the official holiday to the last Monday in May, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans Day is intended to honor all the people who served in the American armed forces, both those who are alive and those who died, although it's largely geared toward living veterans. Often confused with Memorial Day, the key difference between Veterans Day and the May holiday is that Memorial Day is intended to honor those who gave their lives in service of their country. Veterans Day, celebrated months later on November 11, is a day to express gratitude to America's service members, past and present, who served in both war and peace. Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was initially intended to commemorate the end of World War I. The war officially ended on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, but fighting ended months prior when the Allied forces and Germany enacted an armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Since the fighting ended on November 11, 1918, that's when Armistice Day was largely acknowledged, with President Woodrow Wilson being the first to proclaim the holiday. "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 nations," Wilson said in 1919. Veterans Day is meant to honor all of America's service members past and present. Ira L. Black/Corbis/Getty ImagesCongress also acknowledged November 11 being the end of the war, making Armistice Day an official holiday in 1938. More than a decade later, Americans who had served in World War II and the Korean War as well as veterans' groups urged Congress to amend the day to be an overarching holiday honoring all of those who served. Thus, in 1954, Veterans Day was born. However, Veterans Day hasn't always been celebrated on November 11. The passage of the Uniform Holiday Bill in 1968 moved some federal holidays, including Veterans Day, to Mondays. The goal was to entice people to travel during the long weekend and partake in activities that stimulated the economy. So, in 1971, Veterans Day was celebrated on October 25, since it was set to be commemorated on the fourth Monday of every October. Four years later, the holiday commemoration day changed again when President Gerald Ford signed a law returning Veterans Day to November 11, effective in 1978. While some hold the belief that it's actually improper to thank living veterans for their service on Memorial Day, since it's intended to honor those who gave their lives, the sentiment is entirely appropriate on Veterans Day.
Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans. However, most Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. What's more, some Americans don't know why we commemorate our veterans on Nov. 11. It's imperative that all Americans know the history of Veterans Day so that we can honor our former service members properly. Related:
History of Veterans DayVeterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on Nov. 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, Nov. 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.'" As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans. In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress -- at the urging of veterans service organizations -- amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. In 1968, the Uniform Holiday Monday Act ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on Oct. 25, 1971. Finally on Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on Nov. 11. Celebrating the Veterans Day HolidayIf the Nov. 11 holiday falls on a non-workday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the holiday is observed by the federal government on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday). Federal government closings are established by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. State and local government closings are determined locally, and non-government businesses can close or remain open as they see fit, regardless of federal, state or local government operation determinations. United States Senate Resolution 143, which was passed on Aug. 4, 2001, designated the week of Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, 2001, as "National Veterans Awareness Week." The resolution calls for educational efforts directed at elementary and secondary school students concerning the contributions and sacrifices of veterans. The Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial DayMemorial Day honors service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle. Deceased veterans are also remembered on Veterans Day, but the day is set aside to thank and honor living veterans who served honorably in the military -- in wartime or peacetime. Here is President Dwight Eisenhower's letter to Harvey V. Higley, administrator of Veterans' Affairs, designating him chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee: The White House Office October 8, 1954 Dear Mr. Higley: I have today signed a proclamation calling upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 as Veterans Day. It is my earnest hope that all veterans, their organizations, and the entire citizenry will join hands to insure [sic] proper and widespread observance of this day. With the thought that it will be most helpful to coordinate the planning, I am suggesting the formation of a Veterans Day National Committee. In view of your great personal interest as well as your official responsibilities, I have designated you to serve as Chairman. You may include in the Committee membership such other persons as you desire to select and I am requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch to assist the Committee in its work in every way possible. I have every confidence that our Nation will respond wholeheartedly in the appropriate observance of Veterans Day, 1954. Sincerely, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER For more information and frequently asked questions, visit the VA website. 5 Things You Don't Know About Veterans Day1. It's "Veterans Day," not "Veteran's Day," for a good reason. The lack of the apostrophe might seem like a semantic choice, but it has a definite and deliberate meaning. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Day is not a day that belongs to veterans, it is a day for honoring veterans directly in front of us right now. 2. Veterans Day used to be celebrated on the fourth Monday of October. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which stated that Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day would all be celebrated on Mondays. The reason for doing so was to create three-day weekends, which hopefully encouraged travel and other recreational activities that would help stimulate the economy. However, many states did not agree with the change, particularly for Veterans Day, which holds significant historic and patriotic significance. And so on Sept. 20 1975, President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 9497, which returned the observance of Veterans Day to Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. 3. Armistice Day became Veterans Day in 1954. Although today we all know it as Veterans Day. Nov. 11 was originally called "Armistice Day" in recognition of the armistice agreement that ended WWI on Nov. 11, 1918. While WWI was called "the war to end all wars," it failed to do just that. By the early 1950s, millions of Americans had served in WWII in the Korean War. So, in an attempt to be more inclusive and honor this younger generation of veterans service, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day on June 1, 1954. 4. Marines celebrate their service birthday and Veterans Day with a 96-hour liberty. Nov. 10 marks the Marine Corps birthday, an event that is generally celebrated with a traditional ball and a cake-cutting ceremony. Since this special day falls the day before Veterans Day, many Marines celebrate both holidays together with a 96-hour liberty period. 5. A group once pushed to rename then-Armistice Day as "Mayflower Day." After the outbreak of WWII and the revelation that WWI did not end all wars, the idea of commemorating Armistice Day began to fall out of favor with a small group of Americans led by Francis Carr Stifler of the American Bible Society. The group proposed that Armistice Day be officially replaced with Mayflower Day since the signing of the Mayflower Compact took place on Nov. 11, 1620. They argued that this whole name would be far more appropriate, since the Mayflower Compact was the cornerstone upon which the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights stood. Of course, the group's ideas did not catch on, and Armistice Day eventually became the Veterans Day that we know today. Stay On Top of Your Veteran BenefitsMilitary benefits are always changing -- keep up with everything from pay to health care by signing up for a free Military.com membership, which will send all the latest benefits straight to your inbox, as well as give you access to up-to-date pay charts and more. |