Veterans Day, celebrated each year on November 11th, was first celebrated on this same date in 1919, under the name of Armistice Day. The holiday was named in remembrance of the temporary ceasefire that brought about the unofficial end to World War I when, the year before, the Allied forces entered into an armistice with the Germans, stopping live battle on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

A year later, and nearly five months after the official end of the First World War (which occurred on June 28, 1919, with the Treaty of Versailles), President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th the first commemoration with the following:

“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 the 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…”

He called for parades and public gatherings and a brief moment of silence at 11a.m. Two years later, on November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in what became known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Celebrating America’s Heroes: Armistice Day

It wasn’t just the United States that remembered the end of the great war; countries around the world celebrated Armistice Day in 1919, and many still do today. In Canada, they call it Remembrance Day, and Great Britain celebrates Remembrance Sunday on the second Sunday of each November.

In 1926, a Congressional resolution was passed, making Armistice Day a recurring federal holiday, stating that it should be “commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.” As a side note, the federal government can’t force the states into celebrating a holiday, as it’s not within its jurisdiction, but most states adopt the federal holiday calendar.

Celebrating America’s Veterans: Veterans Day

Although the ceasefire – believed to have occurred on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 – was the end of the war to end all wars, history has shown the naivete of the era.

Perhaps the Allied forces showed too much sympathy with the Treaty of Versailles. By the time the war-ending document was signed, seven months after the armistice in November, much of the Allied troops had returned home. And no one, not the United States nor Britain nor France, wanted to remain in Germany or Austria to make sure the terms of the treaty were enforced. What’s more, the Treaty did not require an unconditional surrender; the German troops, although defeated, were not disbanded.

As the embittered Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France, supreme commander of the Allied forces, presciently concluded of the Versailles settlement: “This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years.”

Foch was right. Twenty years after the 1919 settlement, the German army under Hitler – himself a decorated veteran of World War I who helped to spin the yarn that the German army hadn’t been defeated in the field, but instead betrayed by the Jews at home – invaded Poland to start World War II, which would cost the world roughly four times as many lives as World War I.

This time, over 16 million American soldiers, a whopping 42 percent of war-aged men, headed out to battle. And while we lost over 400,000 to the war, many of those men and women returned home. Shortly thereafter, tension began to rise in Korea, and by 1950, the Korean War began. Another 1.8 million troops were again sent across the sea.

By the end of the summer of 1953, after the Korean War ended, about one in every two service-age men were veterans and it was decided that Armistice Day would be officially be changed to Veterans Day – honoring all veterans from all wars.

Changing Throughout the Years: Veterans Day Today

Throughout the years, Veterans Day has changed, sometimes to its benefit and sometimes not. For instance, in 1968, the federal holiday – along with Memorial Day, George Washington’s birthday, and Columbus Day – was switched to a Monday celebration to help encourage travel and tourism in the country.

A few years later, in the brief period from 1971 to 1975, the date was changed again. Instead of the Monday closest to the original Armistice Day, the government opted to set Veterans Day as the fourth Monday in October.

This change wasn’t joyfully accepted by the American public, as many held emotional ties to the origins of Veterans Day. After a few years, the date was reverted back to November 11th.

Now, a century from the original remembrance of Armistice Day, the holiday is still celebrated on November 11th. If the 11th day of the 11th month falls on a Saturday, the day is observed on the previous Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on the following Monday.

Different areas celebrate Veterans Day in different ways. Most public schools close (normally on the Monday closest to the holiday), as do all federal buildings, most banks, and many businesses. There are parades and celebrations to honor veterans. Perhaps the most iconic is the annual wreath laying ceremony that happens at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Many areas still observe a moment of silence at 11a.m. to remember all veterans, those that are still here, those that have gone on, and those that never made it home. It’s also not uncommon to see the American flag flown at half mast.

Regardless of political leanings, Veterans Day is about recognizing the dedication and sacrifice of America’s veterans. If you want to show support, attend a parade. Volunteer at your local VFW. Visit a VA hospital and spend some time talking to the men and women who are unable to attend such events. And when you see a vet, shake their hand, and thank them for their service.

Veterans Day: The Forgotten History of America's Veterans Day and What It Commemorates originally appeared in The Resistance Library at Ammo.com Ammo.com.

quote:

Perhaps the Allied forces showed too much sympathy with the Treaty of Versailles

Actually, historians typically attribute the harshness of the terms of the treaty, including the "War Guilt" clause explicitly placing blame for the war on Germany, and especially the heavy reparations that initially crippled the German economy before the later global Great Depression finished it off, as contributing to the unstable political and economic conditions in Germany that allowed the later rise to power of the Nazis.

quote:

By the time the war-ending document was signed, seven months after the armistice in November, much of the Allied troops had returned home. And no one, not the United States nor Britain nor France, wanted to remain in Germany or Austria to make sure the terms of the treaty were enforced.

Except American, British, French, and Belgian troops did occupy portions of Germany through 1930, to enforce demilitarization and as further encouragement to pay the reparations ordered by the Treaty. The occupation was even further expanded from 1923-1925 as a consequence for Germany falling behind in reparations payments.

The Allied occupation lasted over a decade, and only ended ~4 years earlier than initially envisioned by the Treaty, which had included terms for occupation through 1934. (However, US occupation troops had been withdrawn even earlier by President Harding in 1923.)

Occupation of Austria wasn't necessary, as the already severely weakened Austro-Hungarian Empire had been gutted, stripped of much of its territory, and split up into multiple separate countries. The resulting nation of just Austria was now only a very minor player on the world stage, with negligible military power or influence.

(Besides, per the Treaty, it was Germany's fault anyway, so they were the ones that needed to be punished by occupation.)

The vast majority of the rearmament process by the Germans in the interwar period took place outside of Germany anyway. German companies worked with countries like the Soviet Union and Switzerland to allow development, production, and testing of Germany military technology at factories and test sites outside of Germany, skirting the German demilitarization and weapons production/development ban portions of the Treaty that were being enforced by the Allies within Germany itself. So further occupation of Germany wouldn't have affected that out-of-country arms development anyway.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RogueJSK,

Ala treaty of Versailles, I read that French Field Marshall Ferdinand Foch, after reading the terms of the treaty, commented along the lines of "this is not a peace, merely a 20 year cease fire". He nailed it.

I still recall its being called “Armistice Day,” and then later realizing the name had been changed. I don’t remember, though, the date’s having been changed at any time, so that was interesting to be told.

As an aside, I read something not too long ago that somewhat defended the provisions of the Versailles Treaty by pointing out that it was less harsh than what the Germans imposed on the Russians when they surrendered during the war.

Hitler existed at the right (wrong?) time and place, and I suspect that the treaty could have been different and he still might have managed to rise to power; all speculation, of course, but I find it interesting to consider alternate histories.

My grandfather was in the U.S. Army, 89th Division, 340th Field Artillery, 164th Field Artillery Brigade in WWI. The 89th saw action at Saint-Mihiel and at Meuse-Argonne. They were at Stenay, France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. Below are a few of the things he brought home from the War and occupation of Germany, post war.

The flag at the back of the desk is my grandfather's. I never knew him. He was killed in a car wreck in the early 50s while on a fishing trip to Minnesota. It's a 48-star flag; his death was before Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union.

On the right of the desk is my grandfather's helmet. The "Rolling W" insignia of the 89th Division is highly visible. The 89th was AKA the "Middle West Division." The center of the "W" is painted red. That signified "artillery." I believe a white center was infantry. Don't know all the other color schemes.

The German helmet is a Model 1916 Stahlhelm (steel helmet) with the 1918 camouflage paint pattern. Interestingly, my grandfather and this soldier, both had their names printed in the exact same place inside their helmets.

The bayonet in front of the flag is a cruciform model from a French Lebel 1886 rifle. I recall from research I did earlier that the Geneva Convention outlawed the cruciform bayonet.

The belt buckle is German. It says "Gott Mit Uns” (God with us).

2nd picture, close-up of my grandfather’s helmet.

3rd picture, inert 37mm shell from a Hotchkiss Gun engraved for Armistice Day.

I had several uncles who served in WWII, but I never talked with them about it. My dad was 33 years old when the Japs attacked and had a child (me). He and his 2 older brothers did not serve. Dad worked in war industries, his brothers were farmers. His 2 younger brothers did serve, as did one of my mothers brothers and brothers-in-law. Again, none of them ever discussed the war with me. I was quite young (age 7 when the war ended) and didn't see them very often. I don't know if any of my surviving cousins had ever discussed the war with their dads--there are only a few left. (I'm the oldest male in both families right now.)

flashguy

Thanks for showing us that display again, TMats. One of my regrets is that my great uncle’s helmet was used as a toy when I was a kid and disappeared from the family at one point.

Sergeant Thomas Edward (Ed) Sexton, back home.




My other great uncle, Ernest Clifford (Cliff) Sexton, was killed in action on 9 November 1918, two days before the armistice.

Sgt. Sexton was a handsome man, sigfreund.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Sgt. Sexton ....

He enlisted in the Army before the US entered the war and was in the Engineers because of his experience as a miner. Later after the war he was severely injured in a premature mining blast and died relatively young, partially, I believe, as a result of the injuries.
My other great uncle was drafted into the Infantry.

They are both men I wish I’d learned more about when it was possible.

I only know of one great uncle that fought in WW1,

Matthew Newby was his name,

my mother stayed with him and his wife when she moved to town and later met my dad,


I remember him, barely,
I was small, and he basically sat in his chair and talked a bit, not much,

he spent a lot of time in the VA hospital and eventually passed before I was in my teens,


he was infantry, and gassed at some point in time (reason for his many VA Hospital visits,

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I had several uncles who served in WWII, but I never talked with them about it. . .
flashguy

I have posted before, my uncle lied about his age to enlist in WWII, we all knew he was a cook. He passed away a few years ago. At the funeral they brought out his military record. Seems he jumped on D-Day, and had scars from a bayonet fight in Battle of the Bulge.

I have a pic we found in grandma's storage chest in the basement, my then 18 yr old dad, USN, Occupational forces in Japan, standing on a hillside, in the background is the remains of Hiroshima.