Veterans Day is a legal holiday dedicated to all American veterans. Veterans Day 2024 occurred this past Monday, November 11. Veterans Day to me has always been about the travesties of war. The loss of young men and women fighting for the freedoms we as a nation enjoy. I can think back on the pain and suffering of family and friends who through their brave acts went to foreign shores and returned home war torn and weary. My own father who fought so bravely in World War 11 in the Po Valley of Italy. Who was wounded three times and refused to leave the battlefield. Stories can be told by all of us about loved ones who suffered through immense fighting and also of those who served through times of peace, yet were willingly ready to fight if the calling came in. On Monday we honored those brave Veterans for their service to our country. We recognized them with services, parades, family and friend gatherings, and most importantly in prayer. Throughout this great nation our military veterans received free meals and discounts at national and state parks. There were special events with dignified speakers honoring these special people. The National cemeteries were filled with visitors, but remember this Holiday unlike Memorial Day which honors only those who lost their lives, this one was for all that served. And because it’s an official National Holiday, Government offices, businesses, schools and banks all shut down in honor of our nation’s heroes.

Originally known as Armistice Day in 1918, a temporary cessation of hostilities was declared between the Allied nations and Germany marking the ending World War 1, which at the time was known as “the Great War.” This Armistice took place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and has been celebrated on the 11th day of the 11th month ever since. Only the name has been changed! November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, marking the official end of World War 1. On that date President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief pause in business and school activities at 11 a.m.

World War II saw the greatest mobilization of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force in the nation’s history (more than 16 million people); plus some 5.7 million more served in the Korean War. In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954. From then on, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In the United States, an official wreath-laying ceremony is held each Veterans Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans–living or dead–but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. President Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.’ As a Nation so indebted to our Veterans, let’s continue to encourage and lift them up during the special day set aside in their honor. One of the easiest and most respected ways of doing so is with a handshake and word or thanks as you encounter them each and every day of the year. Thank You, Veterans, for your service! May we continue to love our country and the freedoms we enjoy and may we as a nation as a whole always be prepared to defend our rights and freedoms!