On November 11th, 1918, Germany surrendered to the Allied nations in a written armistice, effectively ending the Great War, which we now refer to as World War I.
An armistice by definition is a temporary ceasefire. On June 28th, 1919 the Treaty of Versailles was signed by all parties, officially ending the war.
One year after the end of hostilities, King George V of England proclaimed that November 11th be celebrated as Armistice Day, marked by two minutes of silence at 11:00 am, the time the armistice went into effect.
Just days after the King’s announcement, President Woodrow Wilson declared that November 11th would be celebrated as Armistice Day in the United States as well.
With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns we remodeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. … Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes.
President Woodrow Wilson, November 1919
In 1953, a shoe salesman from Emporia, Kansas named Alvin J. King proposed to change Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day, honoring all veterans who have served their nation.
King, who was not a veteran himself, was moved to propose the change while mourning the death of his nephew John Cooper, whom he helped raise. Cooper was killed in action in 1944 during World War II.
On June 1st, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (also a Kansan), signed Public Law 380 of the 83rd Congress, which proclaimed November 11th as Veteran’s Day.
On Veteran’s Day, its customary and appropriate to thank veterans for their service to their nation.
Celebrations of veterans and their service is welcomed.
In contrast, Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday in May, is a day to remember those who have given their life in defense of their nation.
On Memorial day, solemn reflection is appropriate, but not celebration.
