Happy Veterans Day!
Wednesday, November 11
Veterans Day 2015
An
Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made
the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated
to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as
"Armistice Day."
Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required
the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in
the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in
Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service
organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans."
With the
approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November
11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Later that same year, on October 8th, 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.
President Eisenhower signing
HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. From left: Alvin J.
King, Wayne Richards, Arthur J. Connell, John T. Nation, Edward Rees,
Richard L. Trombla, Howard W. Watts
On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.
