November 11 is Veterans Day. The annual observance used to be known as Armistice Day, to mark the end of World War I.
The first Armistice Day was Nov. 11, 1919, which was also the first anniversary of the end of World War I.
History of Veterans Day
In 1926, the day was officially recognized by United States Congress, who passed a resolution for an annual observance, according to the United State Census “Facts for Features.” The resolution made Nov. 11 a national holiday in the United States starting in 1938.
November 11 was known as Armistice Day through 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to change the name to Veterans Day. The move was seen “as a way to honor those who served in all American wars,” said the United States Census.
Observance of Veterans Day
The event is celebrated throughout the United States, as a national holiday. Government services close for the day, as does the United States Post Office and many banks. There’s no mail delivery.
To mark the day, many areas host parades. Veterans and civic groups parade in the town. Often there are special events at local veterans memorials. Readings from Eisenhower speeches, or reading the names of local people who died in wars, are read in special events.
A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Veterans Figures
According to the 2010 American Community Survey, there are 21.8 million veterans in the United States. Approximately 1.6 million are female. The US Census also said that in 2010, there were 2.4 million black veterans; 1.2 million veterans were Hispanic; 265,000 were Asian; 156,000 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 28,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 17.5 million were non-Hispanic white.
In 2010, 9 million veterans said they were 65 or older, while 1.7 million were younger than 35.
The largest population of veterans alive during the 2010 survey served in the Vietnam War: 7.6 million, or 35 percent of all living veterans served during the Vietnam War. Vietnam Veterans make up the largest block of veterans, according to the US Census, while 4.8 million served during the Gulf War; 2.1 million in World War II; 2.6 million in the Korean War; and 5.5 million in peacetime service.
Catherine Galioto - Catherine Galioto is a Jersey Shore native who enjoys writing on a variety of topics. She has been published in online and local print ...
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