VETERANS DAYVETERANS DAYPeriods 6

November 12, 2007

Warm-up & HomeworkWarm-up & HomeworkWarm-up:

◦What is the significance of November 11th? What do you think is the point of the holiday?

Homework (to be counted as a warm-up):◦How does your town celebrate Veteran’s

Day? If you were a veteran would you participate in the day’s events? Why or why not?

19181918World War I (aka

The Great War) ended with an armistice (truce).

Treaty of Versailles formally ends war in 1919.

19191919November 11: President Wilson proclaims the

first Armistice Day

"To us in America, 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, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for the suspension of business for a two minute period beginning at 11 A.M., with the day also marked by parades and public meetings.

19201920On the second anniversary of the

armistice, France and the United Kingdom hold ceremonies honoring their unknown dead from the war.

President Wilson names the Sunday nearest Armistice Day as Armistice Day Sunday, on which should be held services in the interest of international peace.

19211921Congress passes legislation approving the

establishment of a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

November 11 is chosen for the date of the ceremony.

Congress declares November 11, 1921 a legal Federal holiday to honor all those who participated in the war.

The ceremony was conducted with great success.

19211921

19261926Congress adopts a resolution

directing the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the observance of Armistice Day.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, most states establish November 11 as a legal holiday and at the Federal level, an annual proclamation is issued by the President.

19381938Congress passes legislation on May 13

making November 11 a legal Federal holiday, Armistice Day.

The United States has no ‘actual’ national holidays because the states retain the right to designate their own holidays.

The Federal government can in fact only designate holidays for Federal employees and for the District of Columbia.

But in practice the states almost always follow the Federal lead in designation of holidays.

1941 – 1945 1950 – 1941 – 1945 1950 – 19531953

World War II and the Korean War create millions of additional war veterans in addition to those of the First World War already honored by Armistice Day.

19541954On June 1, President Eisenhower

signs legislation changing the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day.

19541954BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

3071

Whereas it has long been our customs to commemorate November 11, the anniversary of the ending of World War I, by paying tribute to the heroes of that tragic struggle and by rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace; and Whereas in the intervening years the United States has been involved in two other great military conflicts, which have added millions of veterans living and dead to the honor rolls of this Nation; and

Whereas the Congress passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926 (44 Stat. 1982), calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies, and later provided in an act approved May 13, 1938 (52 Stat. 351) , that the eleventh of November should be a legal holiday and should be known as Armistice Day; and

Whereas, 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, the Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day:

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America , do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, 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.

I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.

In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to wish to join hands in the common purpose.

Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this eighth day of October in the Year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-ninth.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

1963 - 19751963 - 1975Vietnam War creates additional

veterans in addition to the three previous wars.

19681968 Congress passes the Monday

Holiday Law ◦Established the fourth Monday in

October as the new date for the observance of Veteran’s Day.

The law is to take effect in 1971.

19751975Legislation passed to return the

Federal observance of Veteran’s Day to November 11Based on popular support

throughout the nation.

The law was to take effect in 1978.

19781978Veteran’s Day observance

reverts to November 11.

1990 - 19911990 - 1991Gulf War

creates additional veterans in addition to the four previous wars.

Veterans Day 2007Veterans Day 2007But fame is theirs -

and future daysOn pillar'd brass

shall tell their praise;

Shall tell - when cold neglect is dead

-"These for their

country fought and bled."

~Philip Freneau

The War was in The War was in CCOOLLOORR!!

Veterans Day Tribute

Supporting Our TroopsSupporting Our Troops

Gene Simmons Military Tribute