Veterans Day: Not the First Time For November 11th
November 11th was a holiday before 1954.
November 11, 1918: The eleventh minute of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marked the time of the Armistice ending World War I.
Hence, Armistice Day.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926.
The original concept for the November 11th celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
A Legal Holiday
A Congressional Act, approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was a day set aside to honor Veterans of World War I.
Armistice Day Becomes Veterans Day
On June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars, Veterans Day.
On October 8, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” which stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all Veterans, all Veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose …”
When I was with IBM, on November 11th at 11:00 a.m., they broadcast an announcement in every building asking for one-minute of silence in observance of “Armistice Day/Veterans Day.”
By the way, I sometimes disapprove of changing names of certain holidays. But this one is different and I fully approve.
A Family Note
I believe my family has done its part.
My father was in the U.S. Army, the AEF (American Expeditionary Force), in the trenches in France fighting World War I. Because of my father, for some amount of time after 1954, my family still referred to November 11th as “Armistice Day”.
One of my sisters, Mary Marjorie, was a WAVE during World War II.
My youngest sister, Irene, was a WAF during the Korean Conflict.
I had one brother-in-law who was in the Army during World War II.
Two of my brothers-in-law who were in the Navy during World War II.
I had one brother-in-law who was a Marine during World War II and an Air Force pilot during both Korea and Viet Nam.
I was in the Air Force during the Cold War.
HDI, USAF Autumn 1961
