The History of Veterans Day has created a day when citizens celebrate those who served in the military in the past and those currently in service. Veterans Day in the United States is Nov. 11 and is located on a Friday this year 2022. The history of the day started with the end of the first World War and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June of 1919.

“Veterans Day is important because we take a lot of what we have for granted and none of what we do could be possible without veterans. It started from an armistice in the first world war but developed into a celebration and honoring of the people who serve in the military, which is pretty cool,” McIntosh freshman Seth Love said.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month a standstill in battle started between the Allied Powers and Germany. This was named Nov. 11, 1918 the end of World War I which was considered the war to end all wars. In 1919, commemorating the first anniversary of the war President Woodrow Wilson declared Nov. 11 as Armistice Day, originally to be celebrated though parades, public meetings and a suspension in the day. Other countries such as Great Britain, Canada, France and Australia also celebrate those who fought for them in the two world wars around the date of Nov. 11. In Europe, it is common for them to observe two minutes of silence on November 11 at 11 a. m. Great Britain observes Remembrance Sunday and Canada celebrates Remembrance Day.

“At school, We’d have a moment of silence around 11:11 and we’d wear poppies. We are all supporting or remembering the people who fight for us so it’s not like really different. The time that I’ve been here I’ve never seen like a moment of silence or lie really big respect given in that way it’s a little different,” Nicholas Palmer, a McIntosh senior, said.

In May 1938, the holiday of Veterans Day in the United States was approved by the federal government making it an official annual holiday legally as a day commemorating world peace and known as Armistice Day. The day was originally supposed to just celebrate those who fought in World War I. The word Armistice was changed to Veteran’ after World War II this amended the Act of 1938. Which was approved in June of 1954 making Veterans Day a time to honor all Americans in the armed forces throughout all wars and thank them for their service. Also, Veteran’s Day is intended to commemorate all veterans, living and/or deceased, unlike Memorial Day.

“Veterans day was created to honor the people who fought for our country and people whose lives were lost,” Anna Zhou, MHS junior said.

In June 1968 a law was passed that was supposed to insure three day weekends for employees on holidays such as Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus day. The concept was intended to encourage travel and free time activities to increase progress in the workplace.

Under the new law from 1968 the first Veterans Day was on Oct. 25, 1971 causing lots of confusion and many realized the history of this holiday played an important significance thus in Sept. of 1975 President Gerald R. Ford signed a law returning Veterans Day to the original date on Nov. 11 and starting in 1978 many people supported this action.
From then on, regardless of the day of the week, Veterans Day has been observed and celebrated on Nov. 11 helping to keep the significance of the date and allowing people to celebrate and honor American veterans on a day with great historical appeal.

One of McIntosh’s science teachers is a veteran who served many years in the armed forces. “I retired a Major from the US Army after 28 years of service. I started my long career as an enlisted soldier. Rising to the ranks of E-7, Sergeant First Class, in Special Operations as a Psychological Operations Specialist. I was then selected for Officer Candidate School (here in Georgia) and was commissioned a Logistics 2nd Lieutenant with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). I completed my entire career supporting Special Forces commands until my final two years when I was assigned to support an Engineering Brigade. I deployed for several years in both combat zones for counter-insurgency ops in Afghanistan and Iraq, Counter Drug Operations in Central and South America, Humanitarian ops in North America, Africa, and Guam, operations in Kosovo, Slovenia, and Bosnia. And, I also completed several missions in many other countries,” Christopher Duckworth said.

McIntosh students appreciate the significance and importance of the holiday and the concept of remembering those who are currently and have fought in the past for the country.

“Veterans day is important in remembering the people who fought to strengthen our country, to me it is a day to honor those people,” Zhou said.