The History of Veterans Day:
In accordance with the Armistice between the Entente and Central Powers, at the stroke of the Eleventh hour, on the Eleventh Day, of the Eleventh month of 1918 the guns along the western front fell silent. For four years, three months, and fourteen days, a total of eighteen nations were embroiled in an international conflict which spanned across multiple stagnate fronts on three continents. The eleventh hour of November 11th was chosen six hours prior that morning, so that there would have been ‘ample’ time for the news of the cease-fire to be transmitted to the front lines.
The pool of servicemen and implements from England and France was bled almost dry after 3 years of war. Between 1914 to 1917, the United States was committed to a policy of neutrality, but not being impartial, all the while debating whether to enter into the war. During this time, the allies were coming perilously close to losing the war. Following America’s entry congress appropriated $3 billion to build a million-man army. Within a year, seven months, and nine days, General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing’s American Expeditionary Force amassed 1.2 Million “Doughboys” along the four hundred-forty mile Western Front of Europe.
By November 1918, 4.73 million Americans volunteered or were drafted, an increase of approximately 89% compared to the total of the pre-war American standing army. American military involvement as an associated force with the Entente, following the rupture of diplomatic relations with the German Empire, due to unrestrained submarine warfare on civilian and merchant vessels bound to Europe, and subversive actions abroad, brought about the necessary turning point of the war in 1917 in favour of the allies; making the eventual defeat of the Central Powers possible by Armistice.
Compared to the nations and empires already embroiled in the war America was at a disadvantage with its dormant military and its pre-war sustainable armaments. The need for a modern mechanically mobilized army at the beginning of the Twentieth Century led to a profound economic and societal change in the United States. With the production of war supplies by federal installations not being adequate enough to supply not just the volunteers and draftees heading to Europe, but also stateside training, whole industries had to slow down or stop their commercial production and focus on building ships, automobiles, armor, airplanes, field supplies, service-arms, and accoutrements.
In 1919 America’s spending peaked over $2 billion, approximately 33% of the nation's annual GDP. The cost to finance the war was around $32 billion; funds were raised with the sale of liberty bonds, war saving certificates, and taxes. As a result of the war America’s national debt by 1920 climbed to $20 billion.
The war benefited working men and women. With the surge of servicemen more than 500,000 civilian government jobs were created during the war years. In the private manufacturing sector 3.5 million Americans worked around the clock to supply the war effort. Women entered the workforce in positions once held by servicemen. Raw material supplies, manufacturing, and labour worked to keep up with demand.
The Great War claimed approximately 21 million military and civilian lives. Of those lives, 116,516 were Americans on the battlefield and non-theatre. Of these lives lost, it is estimated on the high end that 63,000 died from disease, higher than frontline or training deaths. An additional 204,002 Americans were wounded.
The poetic symmetry of the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month to bring about calm along the front was anything but poetic, rather coming at a terrible cost of 3,058 troop lives in the last hour of war. Private Henry Gunther, of Company A, 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division, was shot and killed as he charged with fixed bayonet a fortified German roadblock outside the village of Chaumont-devant-Damvillers near Meuse just a few minutes before 11 a.m. General Pershing officially recorded the twenty-three year old's death as the last American doughboy to fall before enemy fire in the Great War. Battlefield casualties continued to climb for several days after the armistice, as news was slow to reach remote battlefronts around the globe.
A year after the Armistice in November 1919 United States President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed on November 11th a commemoration in recognition of those heroic men "who died in the country’s service;” for absolute victory of the United States and the empires of Europe, in the post-World War I era. For a time after 1919, the celebration of Armistice Day was observed with the brief suspension of business, as parades and public speeches began at 11:00 a.m.
On June 4th, 1926, the United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
On May 13th, 1938, Act 52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a was approved , making the eleventh of November in the following years to date a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day. Up to 1954 Armistice Day was a day primarily set aside to honour the veterans of the Great War, but with the greater mobilization of America’s forces in the Second World War (16,112,566) and Korea (5.72 million), the 83rd Congress, at the behest of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938; the word ‘Armistice’ was struck out and replaced with ‘Veterans.’ On June 1st, 1954, through the passage of Public Law 380, November 11th became a day to honour American veterans of all wars.
On October 8th President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee. That day, Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day Proclamation, stating "In order to insure {sic} proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."
On June 28th, 1968, the Uniform Holiday Bill was signed into law, ensuring a three-day weekend, for Federal employees for four national holidays that were to be on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Though the Federal Government believed that this was good for business and commerce, many states, and service organizations, did not agree and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.
Under this new law the first Veterans Day was observed on October 25th, 1971. It was quite apparent that the bill created much confusion, as the commemoration of Veterans Day was a matter of historic, and patriotic significance, to a great number of our American citizens. After four years of the law’s passage on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), removing Veterans Day from the Uniform Holiday Bill, and returning the annual observance of the day back to November 11th, beginning in 1978.
Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11th regardless which day of the week it falls on. With its preservation of the historical significance of the day, observance of Veterans Day helps to focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honour all of America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Information from: Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, History of Veterans Day; Veterans Day Facts; Library of Congress: Veterans Day; Armistice Day: World War I ends; Library of Congress: The American Expeditionary Forces; Office of Public Affairs: America’s Wars; The National Archives: Records Shed Light on Last American Killed in World War I; World War I: Building the American Military; National Museum of the United States Air Force; International Encyclopedia of the First World War: National Library of Medicine;
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