The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.
Douglas MacArthurVeterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11.
The precursor of Veterans Day was Armistice Day, proclaimed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson for November 11, 1919, to honor those members of the armed forces who were killed during war World War I. The date of 11th November was chosen to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday — a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day."
In 1954, after World War II and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea the Congress amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.
Veterans Day between 1971 and 1977
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act from 1968 moved the date of Veterans Day to fourth Monday in October as of 1971. But that change lasted only a few years, and in 1975 Congress moved the date back to November 11, effective as of 1978. Summarizing, between 1971 and 1977 (inclusive) Veterans Day was observed on fourth Monday of October instead of November 11.
What if Veterans Day falls on a weekend?
Federal Government offices are closed on November 11, but if Veterans Day falls on a Saturday, they are closed on Friday November 10. If Veterans Day falls on a Sunday, they are closed on Monday November 12.