For The Reporter
Veterans Day is an official United States holiday that honors people who have served in the U.S. armed forces. Its date coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany took effect.) The United States also originally observed Armistice Day as a day to remember all those in the military who died during World War I.
In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks from Birmingham, Ala., sought to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not only those who died in World War I. He led a delegation to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who supported the idea. On May 26, 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law a bill designating Armistice Day as celebrating all veterans; within a week Congress amended the act, replacing “Armistice” with “Veterans,” making it “Veterans Day” since then. While the holiday is usually printed as Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day in calendars, the government says that the official spelling is “Veterans Day” with no apostrophe. The day is for the veterans, rather than belonging to them.
Veterans Day differs from Memorial Day: Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day in May is for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the military.
You can observe Veterans Day by thanking a veteran for his or her service. Use #VeteransDay to post on social media. In showing our deep appreciation for the brave men and women who are serving and have served, I ask you to also consider those who left their mark many years ago, paving the way for the life we enjoy today.
As a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, I ask you to also remember, on Veterans Day as well as Memorial Day, those Patriots who stepped up to form militia groups to fight under the direction of General George Washington and his officers. These brave men and the families who supported their service, often under deplorable conditions, deserve our respect, honor and remembrance.
The Horseshoe Prairie Chapter in Hamilton County will observe the 50th anniversary of the founding of our Chapter. In honor of this anniversary the Chapter is locating and documenting Revolutionary War Patriots who are buried in Hamilton County. Our goal is to provide each Patriot with a DAR memorial insignia at their grave site, and a few Patriots who no longer have a grave marker will receive a new stone and insignia.
These items do come at a cost, and our nonprofit organization needs your help to provide these Patriots with the dignity they deserve. If you are interested in helping with a donation of any size, contact Shirley Smith at shirley1776@yahoo.com for more information.