What Is Veterans Day: Day for Heroes

For the younger American generation, this may be just another holiday for which they enjoy, having the license to simply gallivant because offices are closed and BECAUSE there are no classes. But for the families of the heroes who died before the 11th of November, 1918, the commemoration of the said day every year in the United States is something that brings both pain and pride at the same time.

Veterans Day is a special celebration in the United States. It is an annual holiday honoring veterans in the military. It is a federal holiday, which means that there is no work, business or school required on that day. It is annually celebrated on November 11. Veterans Day is an important illustration of the nation's utmost respect and gratitude for the services of its armed forces. It is an important topic covered in the overall science and social studies curriculum of the federal educational system.

The history of Veterans Day began at the end of World War I. November 11 is actually the day in 1918 when World War I was put to end with the signing of an armistice or an agreement between Germany and the Allied Forces. The date was made further significant by the fact that the armistice was signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of November, which is incidentally the 11th month of the year. Thus, November 11 was originally called Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, and was initially observed in commemoration of the end of World War I.

Pain. In a war there never is a winner. But if caught in the middle of it or if put in a situation where liberty and honor is about to be crushed and burned, rarely would a nation stand down and not engage itself into a war. There is pain when reminiscing November 11th in the year 1918 because though this marks the end of World War I, it also is the realization that millions of people died for and in the name of war, including American soldiers and civilians. There is pain because though victory was achieved, casualties are also had. Families left by the casualties of war will barely feel the victory but only the heartbreak of losing a loved one. Liberty and honor remained in tack but lives were sacrificed. Necessary? The answer is subjective.

Pride. America has fought in the name of peace and justice. And together with other nations, it has succeeded. In the name of two of the noblest causes, heroes have died. A few lives for a world that is free from oppression and threat. Few as to number compared to the millions saved, but as to the gravity of importance, the heroes who died for these causes weigh with immensity that it is carried on a century later and forward.

Woodrow Wilson was the United States president who proclaimed the holiday in 1919. Several years later, a resolution was passed by the United States Congress to observe the holiday with more appropriate ceremonies or activities. The president by that time was Calvin Coolidge. In 1938, Armistice Day was made a legal holiday, to dedicate the day to "the cause of world peace."

After World War II, a citizen in Emporia, Kansas came up with the idea to include the remembrance of all kinds of war veterans in the celebration of Armistice Day-not just those who perished in World War I-effectively turning it into an "All Veterans Day." The local Chamber of Commerce liked the idea, and rallied it together with the local Board of Education. Eventually, with the help of Kansas representative Ed Rees, a bill made its way to Congress and was signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on May 26, 1954. Shortly after, Congress amended the act to replace the term "Armistice" with "Veterans" to further achieve the intended effect. November 11 has thus been known as Veterans Day ever since.

In some countries, this day is also celebrated but under a different name. In other countries, November 11 is called the Armistice Day. Armistice means the temporary cessation of fighting by mutual consent. On November 11, 1918, the Germany and the Allied nations (for which USA was part of) had an armistice.

The change from Armistice Day to Veterans Day had been a very relevant and visionary move, as a lot more citizens appreciate this memorial celebration. What with the numerous other wars that the United States has faced and is still facing even after World War I and II, there are countless more veterans being recognized year after year. Fortunately, they are all given the respect and gratitude they deserve by being included in the encompassing Veterans Day celebrated every November 11.

World War I, just like any other wars, is painful to everyone concerned. Whether a person is from the protagonist nation or the antagonist, loss of a loved one is always painful. That is why November 11 is widely recognized and celebrated. It ended the horror brought by defensive killing and worthless murders. A year after the armistice came into effect; President Wilson said that from then on, such day shall be "filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory". Thus is the celebration of the Veterans Day in the United States.

It is of utmost importance for schoolchildren to know about veterans and the hardship they went through in various wars, in order for them to appreciate the freedom and liberties that the United States enjoys today as a nation and as a society. The science and social studies curriculum of the federal educational system is aware of this and, as such, ensures that relevant topics regarding this are covered in classrooms across the nation.

The science and social studies curriculum of the US educational system tackles the various periods in history where these veterans may have been involved in. Schoolchildren are given the opportunity to analyze history and learn positive lessons from the difficult situations of war and strife. Learning about what these veterans had to go through would hopefully make them more aware of the price of freedom that the country enjoys in this modern time, especially since there are still many wars that the United States is fighting up to today.

Websites For Learning All About Veterans Day

See Our Veterans Day Theme!

  1. National Veterans Day in Birmingham
  2. Sheryl's Holiday Site: Veterans Day
  3. Veterans Day from the VA