When is Veterans Day 2023? A look back at the history of honoring those who serve
We most often associate November with Thanksgiving and spending time with family as winter makes itself comfortable. But it's also the time of year when we honor military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The country will observe Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 10, and state and federal buildings will be closed for business to honor the holiday, which falls on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The Columbus Dispatch explored the history of this American holiday and its evolutions while remaining true to its origins of honoring veterans.
Armistice Day: The end of the Great War
The origins of what we know as Veterans Day date back to World War I, or The Great War, when the Allied nations and Germany agreed to an armistice or a truce to end the hostilities. The war-battered countries agreed to lay down their arms at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.
The war lasted from 1914 to 1918, and over 16 million people died. Although the Treaty of Versailles signed seven months later formally ended the war, Nov. 11 remained seared into the public psyche as the date that marked the end of an arduous four-year conflict that saw the collapse of several empires, changes in Europe's borders, women entering the workforce, and the development of more sophisticated weaponry.
The end of the conflict came to be known as "Armistice Day." President Woodrow Wilson designated Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of the holiday, featuring parades, public gatherings and celebrations, and a short pause on school and business activities at 11 a.m. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution that made Armistice Day an annual holiday.
Armistice Day becomes Veterans Day
A man from Emporia, Kansas — a city between Topeka and Wichita — named Alvin J. King led lobbying efforts to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. While King was not a veteran himself, his stepson, whom he had raised, was killed in combat during World War II.
Through the efforts of his community and veteran service organizations, they raised money to send King and his wife to Washington to meet with elected officials and push for the name change. He earned the support of key politicians, and in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation that officially changed the name to Veterans Day.
But this wouldn't be the final change made to the holiday.
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The intention behind the act was to create three-day weekends for federal employees and encourage tourism by celebrating three national holidays. Memorial Day and Columbus Day were observed on Mondays, while Veterans Day was on the fourth Monday in October.
People were confused with the date change and disapproved, so states continued to observe the holiday on Nov. 11. Once it became clear that the original date of Nov. 11 was significant to the country, President Gerald Ford signed a new law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11th beginning in 1978. If the date falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, like this year, the government observes the holiday on the previous Friday or the following Monday.
There may have been times where you've heard Veterans Day and Memorial Day and assumed they were the same holiday, but they're not. Aside from the fact that Veterans Day and Memorial Day are celebrated in different months (Veterans Day in November and Memorial Day in May), Memorial Day is reserved for those who died in service and is celebrated on the last Monday in May. Veterans Day is for both living veterans and veterans who have passed on.
Veterans Day events in Columbus
Ohio has a rich history of veterans and will be hosting events throughout the week to celebrate both past and present members of the armed forces.
The National Veterans Memorial and Museum will offer an in-person and virtual Veterans Day Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The ceremony will "honor and celebrate the selfless service of millions of Veterans who have defended our freedoms and way of life" and will have U.S. Navy Veteran and Chief Operating Officer of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Jay Anderson as the keynote speaker.
The Ohio History Center will be hosting the March Through Time. Participants can "travel through time" and speak with reenactors from different periods, from the Middle Ages to the modern day, and engage in hands-on activities and games. The March Through Time is Sunday, Nov. 12.
The Center will also be using one of its spaces to host another back-in-time experience that will show the perspective of returning World War 2 soldiers. This interactive experience will be held on Saturday, Nov.11 and Sunday, Nov.12.
You can also plan a visit to the Ohio Veterans Plaza and the Motts Military Museum, although they are not hosting any specific events. Usually, the MilVets Educational Foundation hosts a parade. However, the parade was canceled this year due to decreased attendance and a lack of corporate support.
smeighan@dispatch.com
@ShahidMeighan
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Veterans Day 2023 is on a Saturday; when is it observed?
