Veteran_Day_Origins

Veterans Day Origins

and military campaigns facts and timelines

Origins Of Veterans Day

“To Honor Veterans of All Wars” Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama organized an Armistice Day parade for that city on November 11, 1947 to honor Veterans for their loyal service. Later, U.S. Representative Edward H. Rees of Kansas proposed legislation changing the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day – to honor all Veterans who have served America. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day and called upon Americans everywhere to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a presidential order directing the head of the Veterans Administration (now the Department of Veterans Affairs) to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. In addition to fulfilling that mission, the committee oversees the annual production and distribution of a Veterans Day poster and a Teachers Resource Guide. In 1968, Congress moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. However, it became apparent that the November 11th date – the end of World War I – was historically significant to many Americans. As a result, Congress formally returned the observance of Veterans Day to its traditional date in 1978. The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. At 11 a.m., a color guard made up of members from each branch of the military renders honors to America’s war dead during a tradition-rich ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb and a bugler sounds “Taps.” The balance of the ceremony, including a “Parade of Flags” by numerous VSOs, takes place inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb. In addition to planning and coordinating the National Veterans Day Ceremony, the Veterans Day National Committee supports a number of Veterans Day Regional Sites. These sites conduct Veterans Day celebrations that provide excellent examples for other communities to follow.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier I n 1921, an American soldier – his name “known but to God”– was buried on a Virginia hillside overlooking the Potomac River and Washington, D.C. The burial site of this unknown World War I soldier in Arlington National Cemetery became known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The neoclassical, white marble sarcophagus depicts three carved Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor. Inscribed on the back of the Tomb are the words: “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” The Tomb sarcophagus stands above the grave of the Unknown Soldier of World War I. To the west are the crypts for an Unknown Soldier from World War II and the Korean War. A white marble slab flush with the plaza marks each crypt. In the following years, thousands of people flocked to Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which soon came to symbolize the sacrifices of all American Servicemembers. In 1926, Congress established a military guard to protect the Tomb during daylight hours. Since midnight on July 2, 1937, the Army has maintained a 24-hour guard over the Tomb. Sentinels of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, “The Old Guard,” assumed these duties on April 6, 1948, maintaining a constant vigil regardless of weather conditions.

Military Campaign Facts (1940-2021)

WORLD WAR II (1941 - 1945)
Total Forces.........................................................16,112,566
Battle Deaths............................................................291,557
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater)............... 113,842 Wounded..................................................................670,846

KOREAN WAR (1950 - 1953)
Total Forces...........................................................5,720,000
Battle Deaths............................................................. 33,739
Other Deaths (in Theater)..........................................2,835
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater)....................7,672 Wounded..................................................................103,284

VIETNAM WAR (1955 - 1973)
Total Forces...........................................................8,744,000
Battle Deaths..............................................................47,434
Other Deaths (in Theater)........................................ 10,786
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater)...................32,000 Wounded.................................................................. 303,644

GULF WAR (1990 - 1991)
Total Forces............................................................2,225,000
Battle Deaths..................................................... .............. 147
Other Deaths (in Theater)...............................................235
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater)......................1,565 Wounded............................................................................467

IRAQ WAR (2003 - 2011)
Total Forces...............................................................192,000
Killed .............................................................................4,507 Wounded..................................................................... 32,292

AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001-2021)
Total Forces..............................................................775,000 +
Killed ............................................................................2,420 Wounded....................................................................19,950