A Date Of Significance

The name was originally Armistice Day, but now is known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of England and Veterans Day in the United States. It is observed annually on November 11th. This day marks the armistice signed at Compiègne, France, between the Allies of World War I and Germany at 5:45am, leading to the end of hostilities on the Western Front, effective from 11:00am…the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” in 1918. Despite this, Thomas R Gowenlock, a US First Division intelligence officer, reported that shelling continued throughout the day, ceasing only at nightfall. The armistice, initially set for 36 days, required several extensions until the formal peace agreement with the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year. In celebration of the day, “Legally, two minutes of silence is recommended to be observed at 2:11pm Eastern Standard Time.”

Originally set for November 11th annually, Veterans Day was shifted to the fourth Monday of October starting in 1971, due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This change occurred on October 25, 1971; October 23, 1972; October 22, 1973; October 28, 1974; October 27, 1975; October 25, 1976, and October 24, 1977. However, in 1978, the observance was returned to its original date of November 11th, mainly because its date had significance too. Although the official holiday is still on November 11th, if it falls on a weekend, federal employees and various organizations observe the holiday on the adjacent Friday or Monday.

Veterans Day, the federal holiday in the United States, is observed annually on November 11th to honor military veterans from the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, a US public holiday in May: Veterans Day commemorates the service of all US veterans, while Memorial Day specifically honors those who have died while in military service. Another military holiday that also occurs in May, Armed Forces Day, honors those currently serving in the US military. Additionally, Women Veterans Day is recognized by a growing number of US states that specifically honor women who have served in the US military.

While the holiday is commonly printed as Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day in calendars and advertisements, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website states that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling “because it is not a day that ‘belongs’ to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans.” I find that very informative, because I have always struggled with where that apostrophe was supposed to go…silly as that may sound. I like that it is actually no apostrophe to honor all veterans. So, to our veterans, Happy Veterans Day!!