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Jessica Jimenez

THE IMPORTANCE OF VETERANS DAY


Remembering and celebrating the people who have served our country is an important part of our culture. We have many holidays that commemorate our veterans, including Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day, but Veterans Day is the national holiday that honors all veterans.

Friday, November 11th, America celebrates Veterans Day, and in celebration, we will look at the history and the importance of such a holiday.

Veteran’s Day is a national holiday celebrated in the United States. It is a day set aside to honor all the people who have served in the armed forces and those who lost their lives in war. 

BRIEF HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY

Veterans Day originated back during WWI. It was a holiday created to mark the end of WWI and honor all those who fought and died. This was after the Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war in 1919.

Seven months prior to the Treaty of Versailles, the Allies and Germany had ceased fighting due to an armistice, or “temporary cessation of hostilities.” This happened on the eleventh hour of the 11th day of the eleventh month, hence the November 11th date. 

Because of the armistice, this holiday was first called Armistice Day, and it was President Woodrow Wilson who first proclaimed the holiday. The coming of more wars would morph Armistice Day into Veterans Day. 

The amendment of the Act of 1938 changed “armistice” to “veterans.” From that moment on, this holiday would be a day set aside for the nation to remember and honor all veterans who served in the armed forces.

CAN I THANK A VETERAN?

There is sometimes confusion about whether it is proper etiquette to thank a veteran on this holiday. This is because it’s confused with Memorial Day, which is a more somber holiday aimed at remembering fallen soldiers. 

Veterans Day is definitely a holiday where it is okay to thank a veteran for their service to our country. You don’t have to wait for a holiday to thank veterans either. If you know a veteran, you can thank them at any time.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

This Friday, November 11th, is a day to remember that our freedom was given to us because of the sacrifice and service of our veterans. This holiday is reserved for civilians to recognize and honor the people who have given their lives to help ensure our rights and freedoms as Americans. If you have the honor of knowing or meeting a veteran, please do not be shy to thank them for their service. You may even take it a step further by volunteering or donating to a cause aimed at helping veterans. If you are interested in volunteering or giving to New Life K9s, please visit our How to Help page.

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