On June 5, Queen Elizabeth II and world leaders including President Donald Trump gathered on the south coast of England to honor the troops who risked and sacrificed their lives 75 years ago on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
According to Associated Press coverage of the commemoration, the queen, who served as an army mechanic during the war, said that when she attended a 60th-anniversary commemoration of D-Day 15 years ago, many thought it might be the last such event.
"But the wartime generation -- my generation -- is resilient," she said, striking an unusually personal note, the AP reported.
That unfailing resilience is part of the reason why we honor the men and women of our armed forces today.
According to an article on the U.S. Department of Defense website, Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I. World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, according to the DOD article, but the fighting ended about seven months before that when the Allies and Germany put into effect an armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. "For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of 'the war to end all wars' and dubbed Armistice Day," the article states, and in 1926, Congress officially recognized it as the end of the war, and in 1938, it became an official holiday, primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.
Following World War II and the Korean War, on June 1, 1954, at the urging of veterans service organizations, Congress amended the commemoration yet again by changing the word "armistice" to "veterans" so the day would honor American veterans of all wars, according to the DOD article. "For a while, Veterans Day's date was changed, too, and it confused everybody.
"Congress signed the Uniform Holiday Bill in 1968 to ensure that a few federal holidays -- Veterans Day included -- would be celebrated on a Monday. Officials hoped it would spur travel and other family activities over a long weekend, which would stimulate the economy.
"For some inexplicable reason, the bill set Veterans Day commemorations for the fourth Monday of every October. On Oct. 25, 1971, the first Veterans Day under this new bill was held. We're not sure why it took three years to implement, but not surprisingly, there was a lot of confusion about the change, and many states were unhappy, choosing to continue to recognize the day as they previously had -- in November," it said.
After a few years, it became apparent that most U.S. citizens wanted to celebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11, since it was a matter of historic and patriotic significance, so on Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed another law (Public Law 94-97), which returned the annual observance to its original date starting in 1978, the article said.
"The heroism, courage and sacrifice of those who lost their lives will never be forgotten," the monarch said at this year's 75th anniversary commemoration. "It is with humility and pleasure, on behalf of the entire country -- indeed the whole free world -- that I say to you all, thank you."
We pause as a nation today to express our gratitude to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. Thank you, for putting aside your careers and education to serve both at home and overseas. Thank you, for the sacrifice of leaving your mothers, your fathers, your wives, your husbands, your children, in service to your country. Thank you, for the brave resolve you have shown as you endured the wounds and the pain of combat. Thank you, for your bravery on frozen fields, molten deserts, steamy jungles, enemy skies, and stormy seas.
Thank you.
Editorial on 11/11/2019