Veterans'\Rememberance Day

[Squire Robertsson]

To my Commonwealth friends, it may look down right war loving for the US to have Veterans Day in November and Memorial Day in May.

Memorial Day is the day America remembers her war dead. It has been commemorated since the 1860s. For my UK and Commonwealth readers, the various claims for the first Memorial Day span the period from Palmerston's second term as PM to Gladstone's first term.

Veterans Day of course was started in 1919. MD had been commemorated for full fifty years before the first Veterans Day. So, it is the day America remembers her living veterans

 

[Revmitchell]

 

[Don]

According to my uncle-in-law (haven't had a chance to look this up for myself), Veterans Day is actually an extension of Remembrance Day/Armistice Day. Other countries also celebrate Remembrance Day, or they call it Armistice Day.

So if the US is "war loving" for having such a day, let us not forget that it's a world-wide thing....

 

[Salty]

According to my uncle-in-law (haven't had a chance to look this up for myself), Veterans Day is actually an extension of Remembrance Day/Armistice Day. Other countries also celebrate Remembrance Day, or they call it Armistice Day.

So if the US is "war loving" for having such a day, let us not forget that it's a world-wide thing....

You are correct - Armistice Day was first celebrated to recognize the end of WW I - the War to End all Wars.
In 1954, Congress amended the Act of 1938 and officially changed the name to Veterans Days to Honor all Vets -including the vets of WW II.

In 1968 a law was passed to make all Federal* Holidays on a Monday (so fed employees could have a 3 day weekend) - but at times Veterans Day ended up in October. In 1975 President Ford signed a PL 94-97 to restore Veterans Day back to Nov 11 -no matter what day of the week it was on.


For the VA link

Sgt Salty
NY Guard, Ret