VETERANS DAY - Friday, November 11th
By David A. Tarr, M.A.
“Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe ... November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day.
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.”
(Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Veterans Day, 1954,” Proclamation 3071, October 8, 1954.)
The call to observe Veterans Day followed the approval in Congress of H.R. 7786, which changed the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day in a desire to acknowledge the service of all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. (House Resolution 7786.)
The genesis of Armistice Day goes back to the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. On November 11, 1918, at 5:00 a.m. (local time in France), representatives of the German government signed the Armistice Agreement, which called for “Cessation of operations by land and in the air six hours after the signature of the armistice.” (World War I Armistice Agreement)
Just before Thanksgiving, on November 17, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the American people regarding the Armistice. He had this to say:
“It has long been our custom to turn in the autumn of the year in praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for His many blessings and mercies to us as a nation.
This year we have special and moving cause to be grateful and to rejoice. God has in His good pleasure given us peace. It has not come as a mere cessation of arms, a relief from the strain and tragedy of war. It has come as a great triumph of Right.
Complete victory has brought us, not peace alone, but the confident promise of a new day as well, in which justice shall replace force and jealous intrigue among the nations.
Our gallant armies have participated in a triumph which is not marred or stained by any purpose of selfish aggression. In a righteous cause they have won immortal glory and have nobly served their nation in serving mankind. God has indeed been gracious.
We have cause for such rejoicing as revives and strengthens in us all the best traditions of our national history. A new day shines about us, in which our hearts take new courage and look forward with new hope to new and greater duties.
While we render thanks for these things, let us not forget to seek the Divine guidance in the performance of those duties, and Divine mercy and forgiveness for all errors of act or purpose, and pray that in all that we do we shall strengthen the ties of friendship and mutual respect upon which we must assist to build the new structure of peace and goodwill among the nations.”
(Source Records of the Great War, Vol. VI, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923.)
For several years following the end of “The Great War,” the American people observed Armistice Day with local and state ceremonies. They sought to show their thanks to the veterans who served in World War I, along with their desire for peace following the great conflict.
On May 13, 1938, Armistice Day became a national holiday by an Act of Congress, declaring “the 11th day of November in each year, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.” (5 U.S.C. 87a. May 13, 1938, ch. 210, 52 Stat. 351). This action supported the will of the people, who were already celebrating the day through state and local holidays. Unfortunately, world peace was once again shattered in 1939, as Adolf Hitler began his Blitzkrieg into France, dragging the world reluctantly into another World War.
Following World War II and the Korean War, people across the country sought a way to honor the most recent war veterans. The scope of Armistice Day was enlarged to include veterans from all wars. The effort was spearheaded by Alvin J. King of Emporia, Kansas, where the very first “All Veterans Day” was celebrated in 1953. Representative Ed Rees of Emporia, Kansas, introduced HR 7786 in Congress in 1954 and on June 1, 1954, President Eisenhower signed the Act into law. (House Continuing Resolution 159, October 31, 2003.)
On November 8th of 1954, President Eisenhower signed Proclamation 3071, in which he cited the law changing the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day, “in order to expand the significance of that commemoration and in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Veterans Day, 1954,” Proclamation 3071, October 8, 1954.)
After briefly becoming a Monday holiday in 1971 under the Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)), Veterans Day returned to its rightful date on November 11, 1978, following the passage of Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479).
Veterans Day is set aside as a day to remember and honor the men and women of our armed forces who, from Lexington to Afghanistan, have risked their lives to protect our freedom. It is a day to recognize the service they have rendered to our country and the sacrifices they, and their families, make to keep the torch of Liberty burning.
In the Escondido Charter School District, we take the time to remind our students of these great sacrifices and ask them to remember all those who have made it possible for them to enjoy the blessings of liberty. We promote the exploration of our American Heritage, so they can truly appreciate the value of the service our men and women in uniform provide.
We echo the words of Katherine Lee Bates, who wrote:
“O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!”
(Bates, Katherine Lee. “America the Beautiful,” third stanza, 1917)
We encourage you to celebrate Veterans Day by taking the time to thank those who serve in our armed forces today.
References
Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Veterans Day, 1954,” Proclamation 3071, October 8, 1954, found at http://www.kenilworthveterans.com/history.htm.)
House Resolution 7786, found at http://media.nara.gov/Public_Vaults/14743.pdf)
World War I Armistice Agreement, found at http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/armisticeterms.htm.)
Source Records of the Great War, Vol. VI, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923, found at http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/armistice_wilson2.htm
5 U.S.C. 87a. May 13, 1938, ch. 210, 52 Stat. 351, referenced in a directive from the Postmaster General in A-98256, OCTOBER 28, 1938, 18 COMP. GEN. 393, found at http://redbook.gao.gov/9/fl0041980.php
House Continuing Resolution 159, October 31, 2003, at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c108:./temp/~c108Eq4LIr
Bates, Katherine Lee. “America the Beautiful,” 1917, found at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000001/default.html
Notes on the Author
David A. Tarr earned his Master’s Degree in History from San Diego State University. He is the Webmaster and Robotics Coordinator for the Escondido Charter School District.
