Today is Veterans Day. On behalf of everyone at Atkinson Wealth Strategies, I want to thank the women and men who have served in the United States Armed Forces, and the families who have served alongside them.
Service takes many forms. It includes those who deployed and those who served at home, those who wore the uniform in wartime and those who served in peacetime, and those whose names we know as well as those whose service was quieter. It also includes the spouses, children, parents, and loved ones who carried extra responsibilities so that others could serve. We are grateful to all of you.
Veterans Day has a specific history. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect, ending the fighting of World War I. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. In 1938, Congress made the 11th of November a legal federal holiday, dedicated to the cause of world peace and known as Armistice Day. It was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.
In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd Congress amended that law by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans.” With the approval of Public Law 380 on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. The holiday continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes the purpose of the day as a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. That purpose is worth remembering not only today, but throughout the year.
Veterans and family members who would like information about benefits and services can find public resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs at VA.gov, including a page on getting started with VA. Atkinson Wealth Strategies is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. military.
To every veteran and every military family: thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your example. We are grateful.
Tyler Atkinson
Atkinson Wealth Strategies
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, History of Veterans Day
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA.gov
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Getting started with VA
- Featured image photograph: Anna Gibbon, Close-up of a Waving American Flag, used under the Pexels License (attribution not required). Cropped and used as part of a branded graphic.
