Coleen Brooks: Veterans Day -- a national observance

On Nov. 11, 1919, to mark the one year anniversary of the end of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson declared the day to be celebrated as Armistice Day. Later, on May 13, 1938, Congress passed an act making Nov. 11 a legal, federal holiday dedicated to world peace and WWI veterans. Finally, on June 1, 1954, following WWII and the Korean War, Congress amended the 1938 act at the urging of veterans groups to change the word Armistice to Veterans, officially creating a day to honor all US military veterans. kAmuC@> `hf` — `hff E96 9@=:52J H2D E6>A@C2C:=J >@G65 E@ E96 7@FCE9 |@?52J :? ~4E@36C F?56C E96 &?:7@C> |@?52J w@=:52J p4E 367@C6 36:?8 C6EFC?65 E@ }@G6>36C ``[ `hfg 3J !C6D:56?E v6C2=5 u@C5] *@F 42? =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 9:DE@CJ @7 '6E6C2?D s2J G:2 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 '6E6C2?D s2J w:DE@CJ !286]k^Am kAm|@DE @7 >J 49:=59@@5 H2D DA6?E @? @C ?62C >:=:E2CJ 32D6D] x? 724E x H2D 3@C? 2E %J?52== p:C u@C46 q2D6 27E6C ((xx 27E6C >J 5255J 42>6 9@>6 7C@> D6CG:?8 :? E96 pC>J] w6 ;@:?65 H96? 96 H2D `e] xE ?6G6C 52H?65 @? >6 E92E s255J ?6G6C 7:?:D965 9:89 D49@@=] |2?J J@F?8 3@JD =67E D49@@= 2E E92E E:>6 E@ D6CG6 E96:C 4@F?ECJ] xE H2D 2=>@DE 6IA64E65 62C=J @?] x 42?’E :>28:?6 2 `e\J62C\@=5 D6CG:?8 D@ =@?8 :? E92E H2C] ~?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 A:4EFC6D @7 9:> H2D H96? 96 H2D 2C@F?5 `h 2?5 925 2CC:G65 :? w2H2:: E96 52J 27E6C !62C= w2C3@C H2D 2EE24<65] $:EE:?8 :? E96 D2?5[ 96 925 2 D:=G6C =2A 8F:E2C 2?5 =62C?65 9@H E@ A=2J] s25 8@E 9:D vts @? 4@==686 =6G6= 324< E96?]k^Am kAm|J >@> H2D 2=D@ 2 G6E6C2?] w6C 3C@E96C[ >J &?4=6 q:==[ H2D 2 |2C:?6 :? ((xx] |J >@E96C :5@=:K65 9:> 2?5 =67E 4@==686 E@ ;@:? E96 |2C:?6D] (@>6? |2C:?6D H6C6 ?@E :? 4@>32E[ 3FE E96J EC2:?65 =:<6 >2=6D] |@> H2D 2 D>2== C659625 H9@ 62C?65 E96 ?2>6 @7 #FDEJ] $96 H2D 76:DEJ 2?5 G@H65 2?5 564=2C65 E@ 5@ 6G6CJE9:?8] $96 E@=5 >6 8:C=D H6C6 72==:?8 @FE 2== @G6C E96 A=246[ 3FE D96 C67FD65 E@ ?6G6C 8:G6 FA] x 42? ;FDE :>28:?6] $96 925 2? xC:D9 E6>A6C E92E D96 A2DD65 @? E@ >6]k^Am kAm|J D:3=:?8D 2?5 x ?6G6C D6CG65 :? E96 >:=:E2CJ[ 3FE x E9@F89E 23@FE :E 2?5 D@ 5:5 >J D:DE6C] |@> 2?5 s25 H6C6 G6CJ AC@E64E:G6 @7 FD 2?5 324< :? E9@D6 52JD E9:?8D H6C6 5:776C6?E] x H2?E65 E@ 36 2 A:=@E 3FE H@>6? H6C6 ?@E 2==@H65 E@ EC2:? E@ 36 A:=@ED F?E:= E96 >:5 f_D] qJ E96?[ x 925 8C25F2E65 7C@> 4@==686 2?5 >@G65 E@ v6@C8:2 E@ 368:? >J 42C66C :? 65F42E:@?]k^Am kAm%96 >:=:E2CJ A=2J65 2 3:8 A2CE :? >J 2?46DECJ[ 9@H6G6C] x’> AC@F5 @7 E96 724E E92E C6=2E:G6 uC656C:4< t>6CE D6CG65 :? E96 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ (2C F?56C E96 4@>>2?5 @7 v6@C86 (2D9:?8E@?] w6 D6EE=65 t>6CED r@G6 :? $6G:6C r@F?EJ %6??6DD66] w6 D6CG65 7C@> `ffe — `fg`] pE D@>6 E:>6 5FC:?8 E96 H2C 96 42>6 9@>6 E@ >2CCJ q2C32C2 p??6 }6:5:8 2?5 =2E6C C6EFC?65 E@ 5FEJ] (96? 96 H2D dg[ 96 D6CG65 9:D 4@F?ECJ @?46 >@C6 :? E96 (2C @7 `g`a] x ?6G6C 6] %92?< J@F 8@@8=6Pk^Am kAm%9C66 @7 s25’D 3C@E96CD 2=@?8 H:E9 s25 D6CG65 :? ((xx] ~?6 27E6C?@@?[ s25 2?5 x H6C6 H2E49:?8 E9:D E6=6G:D:@? D9@H @? 2 $F?52J 42==65 %H6?E:6E9 r6?EFCJ] p A=2E@@? @7 D@=5:6CD H6C6 36:?8 7:=>65 2?5 s25 D2E FA 2?5 D2:5[ “%92E’D >J @FE7:EP” %96 ?6IE E9:?8 96 D2:5 H2D[ x 36=:6G6 x D66 >J 3C@E96C[ J@FC &?4=6 ':4]” $FC6 6?@F89[ E96C6 H2D >J F?4=6 4C@DD:?8 D@>6 4C66<] p== 7@FC @7 E96 t>6CE 3C@E96CD 42>6 9@>6 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 H2C[ 3FE E9C@F89 E96 J62CD 2== @7 E96>] DF776C65 7@C E96:C D6CG:46] x =62C?65 7C@> E96> E92E H2C :D 2? F??2EFC2= E9:?8] wF>2?D 2C6 ?@E >62?E E@ <:== 6249 @E96C 2?5 E92E A=2J65 @? >J 525’D >:?5 E96 C6DE @7 9:D =:76]k^Am kAm|J 9FD32?5 D6CG65 :? E96 ':6E?2> (2C] w6 :D 2 86?E=6 >2? H9@ =65 2 =:76 E92E H2D ?@E 862C65 E@H2C5 7:89E:?8 :? 2 H2C] }@ >2EE6C] w6 D6CG65 2?5 42>6 9@>6 =:<6 D@ >2?J D@=5:6CD] w6 H2D 6IA64E65 E@ ;FDE 86E @? H:E9 9:D =:76] xE H2D?’E 62DJ 7@C 9:>] w6’D DF776C65 H:E9 !%$s 7@C 2== @FC >2CC:65 =:76]k^Am kAmx’G6 ?6G6C 32E G6E6C2?D H9@D6 =:G6D 2C6 ?@E 492?865 7@C6G6C 3642FD6 @7 H2C] #6>6>36C @FC G6E6C2?D] %96J’G6 A2:5 2 AC:46 2?5 2C6 7@C6G6C 96C@6D]k^Am kAm%92?< J@F 7@C J@FC D6CG:46]k^Am