Veterans Day
On the 11th of November, Americans will once again pause to honor the men and women who served our country in uniform. It is a day to for us to show our respect to all veterans living and dead who chose to set aside their personal dreams to assure the well-being of our great nation. It is the day to acknowledge those who made tremendous sacrifices for the advancement and surety of our liberty. It is a day we honor a new generation of veterans home from war.
This Veterans Day, we salute all our members, regardless of which service and the era in which you served. Whether in the time of peace or war, we know the price you paid time and time again. You defended America through both the best and worst of times and have performed your duties tirelessly. It is this devotion to duty that gives us all strength.
We at TWS offer our appreciation to members for their dedicated service in helping to keep America safe and free and for their families who made sacrifices as their loved served. Thank you!
Originally Veterans Day was called Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I. the 11th of November was selected because of its significance: major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.
In November 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the 11th of November as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. On that day Wilson proclaimed "the day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."
Two years later, on the 11th of November, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in the war was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Congress declared the day a legal federal holiday in honor of all those who participated in the war. On the same day, unidentified soldiers were laid to rest at Westminster Abbey in London and at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution on the 4th of June, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe the 11th of November with appropriate ceremonies. On the 13th of May, 1938, a Congressional Act made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday for federal employees: "' a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'"
American effort during World War II (1941-1945) saw the greatest mobilization of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force in the nation's history (more than 16 million people); some 5.7 million more served in the Korean War (1950 to 1953). In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans' service organizations, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word "Armistice" in favor of "Veterans." President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on the 1st of June, 1954.
From then on, the 11th of November became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
The next development in the story of Veterans Day unfolded in 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which sought to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees "and encourage tourism and travel" by celebrating four national holidays (Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day) on Mondays.
The observation of Veterans Day was set as the fourth Monday in October. The first Veterans Day under the new law was Monday, the 25th of October, 1971. Confusion ensued, as many states disapproved of this change, and continued to observe the holiday on its original date. In 1975, after it became evident 
that the actual date of Veterans Day carried historical and patriotic significance to many Americans, President Gerald R. Ford signed a new law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11th, beginning in 1978.
Each year on Veterans Day, an official wreath-laying ceremony is held at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, while parades and other celebrations are held in states around the country.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day - a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all living American veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.