Armistice Day
Today marks the 90th anniversary of the first Armistice Day in the United States. Originally instituted by President Woodrow Wilson, on November 11, 1919, the celebration would be called Armistice Day to commemorate world peace, after World War I. On June 4, 1926, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution requesting that the president issue another proclamation to observe Armistice Day, November 11, 1826, with appropriate ceremonies. On May 13, 1938, Congress passed an Act that would observe Armistice Day, each November 11, and make it a national legal holiday, “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’”(i)
Civil War Reunions
While Civil War veterans did not receive the honor of a national holiday, by 1866 many Civil War regiments began to honor their fallen members at organized reunions. In many cases these reunions would include mock battles, artillery demonstrations and honorary guests. These reunions would continue to grow through the 1880′s with many of the regimental engagements happening each year. One of the largest reunions was the Gettysburg 50th anniversary 
reunion in 1913. At this reunion soldiers from both sides slept in traditional tents on the Gettysburg battlefield. The event was memorialized by the picture on the right.
The Creation of Veterans Day
In 1953, Al King, a proprietor from Emporia, Kansas, decided that Armistice Day should not only be a celebration for the veterans of World War I, but for all veterans. With the Emporia Chamber of Commerce supporting King’s proposal, they quickly received congressional support from U.S. Representative Ed Rees. Rees’ bill would quickly be pushed through Congress with President Eisenhower signing the bill into law on May 26, 1954. Later the same year, Congress amended the original Act, renaming Armistice Day as Veterans Day, on November 8, 1954 – again a legal holiday with observance being each November 11.(ii)
In 1971, the Federal government changed the date of Veterans Day in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. With this change Veterans Day would be observed on the fourth Monday of October. In 1978, the date was returned to November 11 due to its historical significance.
The Meaning of Veterans Day for Me
I can trace my family’s devotion to the U.S. Armed Forces back to by great great grandfather, Francis Herman, who fought as a New York Volunteer during the American Civil War. He would serve in the Eastern Theater, participating in many of the most bloody battles. Inevitably, if I were to trace my uncles and cousins, from the Civil War period, many more of my family members would have fought in the war between our states.
More recently, two of my uncles, Joseph and Robert Noirot, fought in World War II, where uncle Joe would be seriously inured. My father Francis “Frank” Noirot was in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War conflict, serving as a fireman on the USS Mississippi. Skipping a generation in the family, as I did not serve in the armed forces, my daughter, 
Jamie Noirot, continued our family tradition by serving in the Air Force, in Anchorage, Alaska. I am very proud of my family’s commitment to the Armed Services of the United States.
Today is a day that we all must solemnly remember those soldiers who fought to preserve and protect our great country. Whether they served in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq or Afghanistan they deserve our respect and honor for what they have done – protecting us from enemies within our borders, abroad or for acts against our allies - they have done their duty and are HEROES.
(i) Veterans Day, on Wikipedia.com, was used to research this article.
(ii) According to Wikipedia, if Veterans Day falls on Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday, November 12. If it falls on Saturday, that day can be used, or the previous Friday, November 10.
While Veterans Day is important to our family, only Memorial Day has more meaning.
My Great Great Grandfather served with the 5th PA Heavy Art during the Civil War, my Grandfather served as a Coxswain in WWI, my father in WWII (USN), my brother in Vietnam (USN Submarines)and with me during Grenada, the Cold War, and the First Gulf War. I finished my time in ’97 and retired now working as Merchant Marine in Washington State. Ours is a family of real service (and not some form of ‘community service’ the liberals seem to think is some kind of sacrifice!). Over half of our family has put our lives on the line (including my son, serving now on a Sub out of San Diego currently on West Pac). Those who sacrificed so much should be willing to stand up again and protect our constitution from those cowards who are shredding our freedoms every day. It is a battle going on every day and I don’t want to think our sacrifices are going to be in vain. Good wishes to all our veterans!
TMacPen,
Thank you for the comments on my Veterans Day post – and thank you for your service and your son’s service.