Tuesday is Veterans Day, one of the special days when Americans recognize and thank those in the armed forces for their personal sacrifices – and the sacrifices of their families – to protect our great country.

One way we can commemorate and better appreciate Veterans Day is to know something about its history. Here are a few key facts for us to consider:

• World War I fighting ended in 1918 at 11 a.m. of November 11 – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
• Three years later, an unknown soldier from that war was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In similar ceremonies in France and England, an unknown soldier was buried in each country’s place of highest honor.
• These memorial commemorations all took place on November 11, which became known as “Armistice Day.”
• Armistice Day became an American national holiday in 1938.
• In 1954, November 11 became known as Veterans Day, the date to honor American veterans of all wars.

This is just an overview of Veterans Day, so if you are interested in learning more detail, links to the official site are provided below.

There are so many distractions in our lives, including a consuming focus on the economy and the recent presidential election. In the busyness of our days we might find reasons to take our freedoms for granted. So I want to encourage all of us to take a moment – at 11 a.m. of 11/11 – to remember and thank those men and women who risk their lives for the privileges and rights we enjoy. It will be a small thing we can do to better appreciate their tremendous sacrifices.

Sincerely,
Daniel J. Thomas
Chairman of the Board

Veterans Day Resources

• VA’s Veterans Day Homepage
• 2008 Veterans Day Poster
• History of Veterans Day
• Origins of Veterans Day