Veteran’s Day, November 11th of each year, is a federal holiday in the United States to honor all those who have served in the U.S. military. November 11th marks the day that the major combat in World War I ended. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson named November 11th Armistice Day. In 1938, November 11th became a legal holiday with the name Armistice Day. The first national holiday to celebrate Veterans Day was held in 1947. In 1954, Armistice Day legally became Veterans Day.

  • Veterans Day falls on the same day as Remembrance Day and Armistice Day in other countries.
  • World War I formally ended on the 11th day of the 11th month, at the 11th hour – 11am on November 11, 1919.
  • Originally, when known as Armistice Day, it was meant to honor those who died in World War I, but when it was amended in the early 1940s, it was changed to honor all the veterans who have served in the U.S. military.
  • Veterans Day is sometimes confused with Memorial Day, however Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the military and Veterans Day honors all those who have served in the U.S. military, alive and deceased.
  • Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran from Alabama, came up with the idea in 1945 to honor all veterans on November 11th, not just the ones who had lost their lives in World War I.
  • Raymond Weeks was given the Presidential Citizenship Medal from Ronald Reagan in 1982. Raymond Weeks led the celebration from 1947 until 1985 when he died.
  • In 1971, Veterans Day was moved to be the fourth Monday in October. In 1978 it went back to being November 11th.
  • In 1954 the National Veterans Award was created, also in Alabama.
  • Veterans Day, celebrated on November 11th, is both a state and federal holiday in the United States.
    Each year on Veterans Day there is a ceremony held in Arlington Cemetery to honor all who have died in war.
  • There are almost 20 million veterans living today.
  • There were approximately 400,000 members of the United States military killed during World War II.
    On Veterans Day there are a number of parades held across the United States, as well as many speeches given.
  • In 1921, on November 11th, an American soldier was buried at Arlington Cemetery. His identity was unknown and as such, his gravesite is called the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On November 11th a wreath is laid on the grave during a ceremony. It is laid by the president or by a high-ranking member of the government.

Veterans Day: Serving Those Who Served

There’s a lot going on with military veterans in the November. Veterans Day is on November 11. Before that, the Small Business Administration is celebrating National Veterans Small Business Week with events nationwide to help veterans start and run businesses. Honor our nation’s veterans is a powerful way to resonate with your local community. Here are some ideas to get you started, and some materials to help you spread the word.

  • Sales and Specials: Offer military veterans a free meal at a local eatery, special gift or discount on products and services. If you normally offer military discounts, bump it up a notch for Veterans Day, such as 25 percent instead of 10 percent. You can also hold a Veterans Day sale for the general public and offer additional discounts on top of your sale prices for military veterans.
  • Sponsorship: If there is a Veteran’s Day event in your community, such as a parade, or an event where city officials will be honoring veterans, see if you can get involved as a sponsor. You can provide money, help out with the event or just have a presence.
  • Service: Volunteer to help out veterans and their families. Find national organizations that assist military veterans and ask how you can get involved. There may also be local opportunities available—for instance, you might be able to help elderly veterans paint their homes or do yard work, or work with disabled veterans. In addition to getting your employees to volunteer, you can also recruit customers to get in on the act.
  • Giving: Don’t just contribute to a cause that helps veterans and their families—raise even more money by getting your customers involved. For example, you could donate a percentage of all your sales on Veterans Day to a veterans’ charity. Offer to match customers’ donations up to a certain amount.