The United States has, unfortunately, been involved in many armed conflicts throughout its nearly two and a half centuries of existence. Rather than these conflicts dragging the entire country into gunfights and warzones, brave men and women have sacrificed their lives in order to protect us from threats overseas. The sheer amount of violence and the rigors of war are nothing to scoff at: if a soldier comes back to the United States alive, there is still plenty of emotional damage and heartbreak about participating in the war to begin with. In order to draw attention to our the veterans that have honorably served to protect the United States and that which we stand for, Veterans Day, which falls on November 11, is the time to honor the sacrifices that our veterans have made. In other parts of the world, November 11 is celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, but in the United States, the day is called Veterans Day and it remains a day that veterans, children of veterans, and members of every community can share.
World War I was the one of the greatest conflicts the world had seen in terms of the amount of violence and terror that it caused all over the globe. People called it the Great War because it was impossible to imagine any armed conflict greater than World War I. Finally, in 1918, an armistice was called that would end the fighting on November 11, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year. Although the formal end of the war would come in 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles, the Allies and Germany struck a peace agreement with the armistice. The next year, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day would fall on November 11th. President Wilson envisioned the day as a time for the country to reflect upon the sacrifices that American soldiers made in World War I and to be proud of the accomplishments that we, as a country, had managed through our involvement in the war effort. The day would also be a time to celebrate a peaceful resolution to the bloody conflict. Most of all, though, the day would be a time to celebrate the individual achievements of each and every soldier that was fortunate enough to return to the United States.
Originally, Armistice Day was envisioned as an occasion for parades and public meetings, with business closing at 11:00 AM so that everyone may be involved in the Armistice Day ceremonies. In the following decades, the United States government would recognize the anniversary of the cessation of violence in World War I as a significant day and would pass an act of Congress that would set aside November 11th as a legal holiday. Until World War II, Armistice Day was a time to celebrate the accomplishments and sacrifices of those that fought in World War I, but the Second World War fundamentally changed Armistice Day. Formal changes did not take place, though, after the end of the Korean War, and once both conflicts had abated, the United States Congress took the opportunity to reassess Armistice Day. This reassessment brought about the concept of Veterans Day, one that would incorporate not only the commemoration of World War I and the end of violence in that conflict, but also the victories that the United States achieved in World War II and the Korean War. For that reason, a law was passed on June 1, 1954 that would rename the day to its present-day name and expand the meaning of the holiday to include every armed conflict.
There is plenty of confusion between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is set aside as a time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice made by certain members of the United States military, the loss of their lives. Therefore, Memorial Day is exclusively devoted to those who have died in the line of duty, and as such, it would be inappropriate to recognize living members of the armed forces on Memorial Day. Veterans Day, however, is devoted to each and every person that has served our country in a military capacity, living or dead. In practice, though, Veterans Day is generally set aside to commemorate the contributions of living veterans. Furthermore, Memorial Day is observed in May, whereas Veterans Day is observed on November 11, no matter what day of the week it falls on.
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As far as observances of Veterans Day across the United States, one of the largest is the Veterans Day National Ceremony, which is always held on Veterans Day itself no matter what day of the week Veterans Day happens to be. The Veterans Day National Ceremony begins at 11:00 AM at the Arlington National Cemetery. First, a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a symbolic monument that is meant to represent the sacrifices of every single soldier that lost his or her life in armed conflict overseas. The Memorial Amphitheater, which is next to the Tomb, is the location of the ceremony, which will be preceded by a performance of the US Navy Band. If you plan to attend the Veterans Day National Ceremony, you are encouraged to arrive early. Security screening can take a long time, and once the area has reached maximum capacity, admittance ends and no one can enter the ceremony. There is only standing room available at the wreath-laying ceremony and inside the amphitheater, seating is only available on a first come, first serve basis. No tickets are necessary, but you should plan to see either one or the other because of space limitations. All of the events conclude around noon.
There are also plenty of local celebrations throughout the country, a popular form of celebrations being the good, old-fashioned parade. The largest Veterans Day parade is held in New York City and if you able to attend, you certainly should. People from all around the country and the world are there to honor the contributions of our veterans throughout time. Activities will include: the Mayor’s Breakfast for Veterans, the Opening Ceremony, the Crosstime March, Veterans Day Street Fair, the Parade Program, and the Thank You For Serving video, all of which are great reasons to make your way to New York City this Veterans Day. Just the ambiance of the parade, though, is enough reason to make the trip: no other place makes one’s heart swell with pride about the United States and the amount of sacrifices certain brave individuals have made, and continue to make.
Veterans Day, which began as Armistice Day, is approaching its 100th anniversary. For almost a century, November 11th has been dedicated to respecting the contributions of every member of the United States military, living and dead. Every day, brave men and women are making great sacrifices in order to keep our country safe from harm, and that is why we should all come out to show our support on Veterans Day. One day of each year is devoted to these brave men and women, and although some would contend that this is not enough, we should make the most of Veterans Day.
