A Brief History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day gives us the opportunity to thank those who have sacrificed and bravely served in the U.S. military. November 11, 1918 was the official end to World War I (WWI), and the day in which Germany signed an armistice (a formal agreement between parties to stop fighting). It was also marked as a legal holiday to honor the end of WWI and officially named “Armistice Day”. In 1954, after World War II (WWII) and the Korean War ended, congress decided to change the designation from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars. As of 2001, the week of November 11 th – November 17 th , is designated as “National Veterans Awareness Week”.

Now, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs most Americans confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day and vice versa… So, I will give a very brief explanation of both to clear up any confusion.

• Memorial Day: Honors service members who have died in service to their country.
• Veterans Day: A day to thank and honor living veterans who have served honorably in the military.

Below is a list of the current branches of the U.S. military and a brief description of history and missions the conduct. (Listed in order of establishment)

U.S. Army: Established on June 14, 1775. The Army is largest and the oldest of the military branches.

The primary function of the Army is to protect and defend the country with ground troops, armor, artillery, helicopters, and other weapons.

U.S. Navy: Established on October 13, 1775. The Navy is the second oldest military branch.

The primary function of the Navy is to maintain and protect U.S. interests at sea. The Navy also helps to supplement the Air Force with air power, deploys air craft carriers around the world, as well as submarines.

U.S. Marine Corps: Established November 10, 1775. Originally established to act as a landing force under the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps weren’t their own separate service until 1798. The primary function of the Marine Corps is amphibious operations and other ground-combat operations.

U.S. Coast Guard: Initially established as the Revenue Cutter Service on August 4, 1790 then, merged with the U.S. Life Saving Service to form the U.S. Coast Guard on January 28, 1915. The Coast Guard is the smallest military branch. The primary function of the Coast Guard is law enforcement, boating safety, sea rescue and illegal immigration control. Assets include ships, boats, aircraft, and shore stations that conduct a variety of missions.

U.S. Air Force: Established September 18, 1947. The Air Force is the newest of the military branches and started as a separate corps of the army. The primary mission of the Army Air Corps was to support Army ground forces via air. After WWII, the realization that air power had a huge impact on the outcome of the war prompted congress to establish the Air Force as a separate service.
The primary function of the Air Force is to defend the U.S. and its interests via air and space. They operate fighter crafts, tanker crafts, bomber crafts, transport aircrafts, and helicopters. The Air Force also, controls all military satellites and controls nuclear missiles.

Thank you for taking the time to find out why we celebrate Veterans Day and learning a bit about the country’s military history.

With that let’s celebrate our veterans and enjoy our day off!!!