Don’t Confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day
By JOE VACCARO
American Legion Post 56
November 6, 2014
Veterans Day is Tuesday, November 11. Its purpose is sometimes confused with Memorial Day.
Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day remembers the men and women who died while serving. Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. Therefore, the day is always recognized on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week the 11th falls on.
American Legion Post 56 will conduct their Veteran’s Day ceremony at the Cape Charles Memorial Flag Pole on Mason Avenue starting at 10:55 a.m. Guest speaker will be retired Army veteran Clayton Allen, and his wife, Rev. Janet Allen, will lead the prayer service. The public is most welcome, and is requested to dress appropriately for this outdoor ceremony.
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In 1919, President Wilson commemorated the first Armistice Day with these words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations….”
The day was originally set aside to honor the Veterans of World War I with a day of parades and remembrances as well as a pause in activities at 11 a.m. In 1938 it was made a legal federal holiday. After World War II and the Korean War Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day to recognize all veterans — not just those of World War I. In 1954, the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans” as a way to formally include all Veterans of all American wars in the day of remembrance.
Today, Veterans Day is a federal holiday which many cities celebrate with parades and ceremonies. In Washington, D.C., there are ceremonies throughout the city including a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery.
Veterans Day is a day not only to remember those who died in service to our country, but also to recognize those who continue to serve today.
Nice job Mr Vaccaro! We are now definitely in the minority and sadly very few in Congress and the Executive have ever served. A lot of what we get is just lip service. This Army veteran can’t even buy guns in Virginia. My dad was Army in WW I and Armistice Day meant a lot to him. He was Navy in WW II and he belonged to the World War One Veterans, the VFW and the American Legion.
There was a national disgrace over the VA and veterans not getting medical care but has the problem really been fixed? Many were hurt by agent orange and our country turned its back on them. One regiment of my 4th Infantry Division was subjected to an atomic blast in a trench 1000 yards from ground zero with over-whites and gas masks & told they would be safe. Apparently a good number of them had come down with cancer and I don’t know what care they received.