On November 11, we honor military veterans of the United State Armed Forces in observance of Veterans Day, which is a federal holiday.
Veterans Day coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are observed in other countries to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of WWI formally ended when the Armistice with Germany went into effect the 11th hour of Nov. 11, 1918.
Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day in the U.S. until 1954, when it was changed to its current name at the urging of U.S. Veterans organizations.
In 1919 during the first Armistice Day speech to Americans, President Woodrow Wilson said:
“To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations.”
A congressional act approved on May 13, 1938, established Veterans Day as a legal holiday in the U.S.
In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks led a movement to expand the holiday to celebrate all military veterans, not just WWI veterans. Two years later, Weeks led the first National Veterans Day celebration in Alabama.
U.S. representative Ed Rees presented a bill establishing National Veterans Day through congress, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law on May 26, 1954.
Ways you can honor veterans include:
- Attending veterans-focused events like parades
- Supporting a veteran-owned business
- Donate to veterans’ organizations and causes
- Fly an American flag
- Hold a moment of silence
A friendly reminder: NWCU branches will be closed on Monday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans Day. If you need to access your account that day, you can do so online.
Please join us in honoring our military veterans this Veterans Day. We thank them for their service to our country.