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Veterans Day, celebrated every Nov. 11, was first observed in 1919 as Armistice Day, after a proclamation signed by President Woodrow Wilson.
The document read, in part, that “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.”
President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name of the national holiday to Veterans Day by signing a House resolution in 1954. The change was meant to honor not just those who died, but also the living who fought or still are fighting for the United States.
Veterans Day is sometimes confused with Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday in May and commemorates men and women who have died in military service. Its history dates to the end of the Civil War, when it was called Decoration Day and honored only Union soldiers who had died.
After World War I, the holiday was expanded to include all who had died in combat, but Memorial Day wasn’t recognized as a national holiday until 1971.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site www.va.gov.
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