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Hoping You Can Spare Two Minutes Today
Each November 11, Americans pause to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. While many towns hold parades or ceremonies to mark the occasion, others — like Springdale — commemorate it more quietly, with flags raised and hearts mindful of those who have defended the nation, if we even give yet a thought.
Veterans Day, as we know it today, began more than a century ago as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I. At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the guns of the “Great War” fell silent. The armistice signed between the Allies and Germany ended one of the deadliest conflicts in human history.
A year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11, 1919, as the first Armistice Day, calling for Americans to reflect with pride on the heroism of those who served. Communities across the country held moments of silence, church bells rang, and flags were lowered in remembrance.
In 1954, following both World War II and the Korean War, Congress voted to rename the holiday Veterans Day to honor all who had served, in war or in peace. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a World War II general, signed the change into law, asking citizens to “reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace.”
Unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who died in military service, Veterans Day celebrates all veterans — living and deceased — who have worn the uniform. It is a day not only of remembrance but of gratitude, recognizing the continuing contributions veterans make in their families, workplaces, and communities.
In many parts of the country, schools hold assemblies, veterans’ groups organize parades, and volunteers place flags at cemeteries. Here in southern Utah, where veterans quietly live among us, the observance may take a simpler form — a conversation, a handshake, or a flag flying against the cliffs.
The meaning of Veterans Day endures in these small gestures. It is found in the stories of those who served, in the freedoms they protected, and in the hope that each generation will remember their sacrifice not just one day a year, but always.
As President Wilson wrote in 1919, Armistice Day — and now Veterans Day — was meant to be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” More than a century later, that spirit remains the heart of November 11.
Did You Know?
- It’s neither “Veteran’s Day nor Veterans’ Day.” The official name is Veterans Day — without an apostrophe — because it honors, not belongs to, all veterans collectively.
- The holiday almost moved. In 1968, Congress tried to make Veterans Day part of a long weekend under the Uniform Holiday Act. It was briefly observed in October, but public outcry led to its return to November 11 in 1978.
- Other countries observe it, too. Nations that fought in World War I mark November 11 as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, honoring those who lost their lives in battle.
- Utah has over 130,000 veterans. They represent service in every branch of the military, from World War II through today’s global missions.
- Moment of silence. Many Americans pause for two minutes at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, echoing the time the armistice took effect in 1918. “Lest we forget, lest we forget.” (Kipling)