World War I, which
was known at the time as “The Great War”, officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles
was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of
Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an
armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations
and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the
eleventh month.
Veterans Day
originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the
end of World War I. It is still known by that name in many nations.
To read President
Woodrow Wilson’s speech concerning this recognition, you may find it on
Wikipedia by CLICKING HERE. Congress
passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a
national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays
tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to
living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
The Uniform Holiday
Bill was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends
for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays:
Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Including
Veterans Day as a Monday holiday became unpopular, so it was changed to the
actual day. Only, this year, with November 11th falling on Sunday, as a
holiday, it is observed today, Monday the twelfth.
While the holiday is
commonly printed as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars
and advertisements (spellings that are grammatically acceptable), the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs website states that the attributive (no
apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling
"because it is not a day that 'belongs' to veterans, it is a day for
honoring all veterans."
Veterans
Today
The military men and women
who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life; they are parents,
children, grandparents, friends, neighbors and coworkers, and are an important
part of their communities. Here are some facts about the veteran population of
the United States:
- 16.1 million living veterans served during at least one war.
- 5.2 million veterans served in peacetime.
- 2 million veterans are women.
- 7 million veterans served during the Vietnam War.
- 5.5 million veterans served during the Persian Gulf War.
- Of the 16 million Americans who served during World War II, about 558,000 are still alive. (2014)
- 2 million veterans served during the Korean War.
- 6 million veterans served in peacetime.
- As of 2014, 2.9 million veterans received compensation for service-connected disabilities.
- As of 2014, 3 states have more than 1 million veterans among their population: California (1.8 million), Florida (1.6 million) and Texas (1.7 million).
Sources:
Wikipedia
In addition to my
grandfather who served during The Great War, my father and my uncle who served
during World War II, I also wish to honor my own sweetheart who served in Viet
Nam.
My Millwright’s Daughter as a single has gone live today. It is part of the anthology, Undera Mulberry Moon which is still available for a short time. If you read
it as part of the anthology and would like to leave a review for it as a
single, I would greatly appreciate it. You may view the book page on Amazon
including the place to add your review by CLICKING HERE.
Here is the book
description:
After the death of
her mother in 1882, Eliza Wells goes to live with her grandmother, Caroline
Arnold, whom her parents named as her guardian. Not long after her grandmother
has a stroke, her uncle, Joseph Wells from Kerr’s Ferry, California, whom she
has never met in person, arrives in Ohio and whisks her away for a visit with family
while her grandmother recovers.
At first Eliza enjoyed
visiting her cousins in California. Now she grows concerned at her uncle’s
repeated refusals to arrange for her transportation home. Her grandmother has
not replied to her letters, so Eliza can no longer look to her for help.
Since Caroline,
slowly recovering from her stroke, has heard nothing from her granddaughter in
months, she hires Kit Halsey, a former railroad detective, to find her granddaughter
and bring her home. He agrees, for what he will receive in pay for the job will
put him through law school.
Joseph urges Eliza to
spend time with his business associate, Daniel Irwin, almost fifteen years her
senior. Unlike her cousin, Eliza does not care for Daniel. The only man for
whom she feels an attraction is the new freight driver, Kit Halsey.
Startling details
from the past come to light, and the only person Eliza can turn to for help is
Kit—if he is willing to risk his future to save her.
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