10 Things You Never Knew About Veterans Day

A chance to celebrate and honor all those who served our nation in uniform

Janie Emaus,

AARP Veteran Report

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Published November 09, 2023

/ Updated November 08, 2024

a group of veterans at the veterans day parade in new york city

Parade of war veterans on Veterans Day on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Gordon Welters/laif/Redux

On Nov. 11 — Veterans Day — we honor all the brave men and women who have served in the United States military.

It is not to be confused with Memorial Day, which is to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. On Veterans Day, federal offices are closed as well as many private businesses. Many restaurants across the country offer free meals to veterans. Discounts are available to veterans nationwide.

But how many of us know the history of Veterans Day? Here are some important and interesting facts about this significant day.

1. It was originally called Armistice Day

Hostilities in World War I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice, or peace agreement, with Germany went into effect. Armistice Day began as a celebration recognizing the victory of the allied forces of WWI. It was renamed Veterans Day by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 and is now dedicated to servicemembers of all wars.

2. There is no apostrophe

There is often confusion about the punctuation. The federal holiday is not a day that “belongs” to one veteran (Veteran’s) or multiple veterans (Veterans’), which is what a possessive apostrophe would signify. It is a day for honoring all veterans, so no apostrophe is used.

3. Veterans Day hasn’t always been celebrated on Nov. 11

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Holiday Bill, which ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day.

This bill assigned the fourth Monday of October as the original date for Veterans Day, but many states disapproved of this decision. In 1975, President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to Nov. 11, anchoring it to this historically significance day.

4. Arlington National Cemetery holds an annual service

The cemetery, just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., is home to the graves of over 400,000 military personnel and their families. A National Veterans Day Ceremony is held at 11 a.m. each Nov. 11. During the commemoration, guards lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and veterans organizations hold a parade of colors. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

5. The New York City parade is the oldest in the country

The New York City Veterans Day Parade takes place along Fifth Avenue. It is both the largest and oldest Veterans Day parade in the country. The first one was held in 1919.

6. Alabama held the first known veterans celebration

The first celebration referred to as Veterans Day was held in Birmingham, Alabama, on Nov. 11, 1947. A World War II veteran named Raymond Weeks, a native of the city, organized the event, which included a parade and other festivities. He was awarded the Presidential Citizenship Medal by President Ronald Reagan in 1982.

7. Other countries also honor their veterans

Canada and Australia honor their country’s military personnel on Nov. 11. but they call it Remembrance Day. The United Kingdom marks Remembrance Day on the second Sunday of November.

8. Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act was passed in 2016

In 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act. At 2:11 p.m. EST each Veterans Day, the current president will order a moment of silence lasting two minutes.

9. Americans honor veterans on many other holidays

Among them are Medal of Honor Day on March 25, Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29, Former POW Recognition Day on April 9, Armed Forces Day on May 20, Women Veterans Day on June 12, Korean War Veterans Armistice Day on July 27, Purple Heart Day on Aug. 7 and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Dec. 7.

10. Millions of Americans have served

According to the Census Bureau, in 2021 there were 16.5 million veterans living in the United States, about 6.4 percent of the adult population.

16 million Americans served in WWII. In 2022, just over 167,000 of them were alive.
1.8 million served in the Korean War.
2.7 million served in the Vietnam War.
650,000 served in the Gulf War.

This year on Veterans Day be sure to thank a veteran for their service and — even better — strike up a conversation about what they did when they were in uniform. Without them, our country would not be what it is today.

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Janie Emaus is the author of two books with a third to be published in early 2023. Her essays, stories and articles have been published in numerous magazines, anthologies and online publications. She lives in Southern California with her husband, a veteran of the Vietnam War. More about her work can be found at www.janieemaus.com.