What was Eleven-Eleven-Eleven all about?
It’s been continuing for 98 years. What happened on Eleven Eleven Eleven? “Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on November 11, that honors military veterans (and not the one facing military drug crimes charges); that is, persons who served in The United States Armed Forces.” But why November 11? What’s that all about? Why not during summer months?
On the 11th month on the 11 day at 11:00 PM in 1918, WWI came to a formal close. This was the day when the Armistice with Germany became effective.
One year later, US President Woodrow Wilson recalled the day that ended the “War to end all wars” in a letter to the citizens,
in part, it read:
“A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and juster set of inter national relations…”
Eighteen years later in 1938 requested by President Calvin Coolidge, an annual legal holiday was enacted. “A day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”
As history has shown us, the world was once again entering another Great War. By the end of WWII, an estimated 80 million lives were lost. Billions more struggled with the slaughter of families, loss of homes, lack of food that to this very day, still haunts many of our fathers and grandfathers.
A WWII veteran, Raymond Weeks from Alabama wanted to include “all veterans and not just those who died in WWI” as Armistice Day had been celebrated. By 1954, President Dwight D Eisenhower signed into law with congress approval replacing Armistice Day with Veterans Day.
Even the spelling of Veterans Day is important. There is no apostrophe attributed. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, “because it is not a day that ‘belongs’ to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans.” So no more wondering where the ” ‘ ” goes because there isn’t one.
The week prior to Veterans Day is typically an Election Day. Discussions with President Woodrow Wilson had some thinking to combine the two days as one, thereby allowing voters the day off to vote. However, as voting requires government employees and locations to vote, allowing them to have all federal holidays off was considered counterproductive.
All this explains that today, November 11, is a day to remember and thank a veteran for the sacrifices they gave to our country and its citizens. In “My Father’s War: Memories from Our Honored WWII Soldiers” many of these amazing men and women shared with me their life stories before and after their WWII involvement. Hopefully, any reader will be able to identify with one or more of these featured veterans to their own father or grandfather. God Bless America.
Charley Valera, November 11, 2017.
