1. The first Veteran's Day was declared on November 11, 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to mark the first anniversary of Armistice Day.
2. President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed the title Armistice Day to Veteran's Day in October of 1926 to "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary."
3. Per a law enacted in 1968 the holiday was to be observed on a Monday to give federal employees a 3 day weekend. Some states chose to continue to celebrate on November 11th.
4. In 1975 President Gerald Ford repealed the 1968 law and returned Veteran's Day observances to November 11th.
5. Need a Veteran's Day poster? Happy to oblige.
6. There are so many soldiers being buried these days that the services don't have enough buglers to honor them. Some retired bugle playing servicemen drive over a hundred miles a day to ensure that returning service people have everything accorded to them by tradition at their burials.
7. One of my good friends from childhood is a veteran.
8. My uncle and one of my employers are war veterans.
9. Senator McCain's first post-election appearance will be on Leno tonight.
10. If you're interested in how to treat a flag or particular poems and songs in honor of the day, this site can help.
Source for the historical parts.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
10 Things Veteran's Day
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My FIL was regaling me with stories about the Veteran's Memorial in London and how, when it was first put up and for many years after it, drivers would slow their cars down as they passed out of respect.
ReplyDeleteI doubt they do that anymore.
Thank you for this post; it helped to inspire my copy.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I don't think that Eisenhower was president until 1952.
Oh good lord, I must have misread something very badly mustn't I?
ReplyDeleteYes, I did. Everyone should please go to the source link and read more in depth. The skimming that I did produced a grievous error. Eisenhower signed some legislation in 1954 making the holiday national, I believe, but again, don't listen to me, go to the source.
ReplyDelete