The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

President Eisenhower signs HR7786,
 establishing Veterans Day.

Old timers will remember that Veteran's Day began life as Armistice Day, which was a celebration of the end of the "Great War" which we now commemorate in history books as World War I.  The end of the conflict between the Allies and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month and hence that was the date assigned to the celebration of the Armistice: November 11, 1918. An excellent account of the history of Armistice Day can be found here.

Armistice Day was celebrated throughout Europe, the U.S. and Canada, New Zealand and Australia, usually with parades and a moment of silence around 11:00 a.m. local time.  In the U.S., Armistice Day became a legal holiday on May 13, 1938.

Following World War II, President Eisenhower issued a Veterans Day proclamation designation November 11th as a for veterans of all foreign wars.  Customs have evolved over time.  There was an ill-fated attempt by Congress to fix Veterans Day as a Monday, establishing a three-day holiday, which was intended to yield an economic benefit.  However, it was returned to its original date in 1978.  It remains now as the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Remembrance of the fallen has now moved to Memorial Day.  Veterans Day is a day to celebrate all veterans, including survivors, returnees from conflict, and all that have served.  I close with my deepest gratitude for all veterans of the U.S Armed Forces and our allies, including my own dear dad.  This is your day.