Big Spring Herald

What exactly is Veterans Day about?

- By DUSTIN POPE Managing Editor

Today is November 11, which means it is Veterans Day. Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunit­y to celebrate the bravery and the sacrifice of all the United States Veterans. However, some of us seem to confuse this holiday with Memorial Day. What's even more is that some of us don't know why we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11. So, I figured I would give you a brief breakdown of the meaning of Veterans Day and how it is different from Memorial day so that we can all honor our former service members properly.

Well, let us begin with a bit of the history of Veterans day, shall we? Veterans Day was initially known as Armistice Day, originally set as a legal holiday to honor the end of World War 1, which officially took place on November

11, 1918. However, the legislatio­n was passed in 1938 that Nav 11 would be "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day." So this holiday honored all World War veterans.

By 1954 had rolled around the United States had already been involved in World War II and the Korean War, so the 83rd U.S. Congress, at the urging of the veterans' service organizati­ons, amended the Act of 1938 by taking out the word" Armistice" and inserting "Veterans." After the approval of this legislatio­n on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor all American veterans. Later in 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill ensured three-day weekends for all Federal employees by celebratin­g four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day,

See VET, page 3

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