The 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month is a special moment each year. On Tuesday, November 11, at 11:00 AM, the Jack Welch Chapter of the D.A.V., retired veterans, and several in our community gathered at the Veterans Memorial near City Hall in McKee, KY, in honor of Veterans Day.
Shane Morris, Commander of the D.A.V., spoke and defined the differences in the holidays associated with remembering and honoring our Veterans: Veterans Day (Armistice Day) and Memorial Day. Veterans Day was initially called "Armistice Day," commemorating the end of World War I. (An "armistice" is an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a specific time; a truce.) A lot of Americans get Veterans Day confused with Memorial Day, and that can be frustrating to all of the living veterans out there. Veterans Day is NOT the same as Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives for our country, particularly in battle or from wounds they suffered in battle. Veterans Day honors all who have served the country in war or peace — dead or alive — although it's primarily intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers was the 2025 Keynote speaker at the Veterans' Day Event. Senator Stivers spoke of the importance of coming together as a community to remember the sacrifices made by our Veterans, along with the sacrifices they were willing to make, including their own lives, to preserve our Nation’s Freedom. Stivers’ family is rich in military service, with his Father and Uncles serving in WWII. “These individuals fought for our freedom. They fought so each of us could have freedom to speak, freedom to be heard, and freedom to disagree. It doesn’t matter what one’s political affiliation may be. Freedom is bigger than politics. Freedom is worth fighting for to preserve. Freedom is what makes this Nation great.”
Stivers also mentioned the importance of educating our children on the sacrifices made by our Veterans and the reasons why those sacrifices are so important. “Young people are removed from the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and WWII. It is important for them to understand.”
World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed. However, the fighting ended about seven months earlier when the Allies and Germany signed an armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
For that reason, November 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of "the war to end all wars" and dubbed Armistice Day. In 1926, Congress officially recognized it as the end of the war, and in 1938, it became an official holiday, primarily a day set aside to honor World War I veterans.
D.A.V. member Myron Rader read the names of Jackson County residents who gave their lives defending freedom during WWI. These names include Thomas W. Azbill, Junie C. Bowles, John C. Burgin, Clarence E. Chappell, James L. Clemmons, Thurman Dunnagin, Robert Fox, Luther Gabbard, Hubert Hackman, Charles Hamilton, Alfred Harris, John Huff, Henry Hunley, William E. Jones, James F. King, Rolla Malicoat, William McQueen, John Smith, and John E. St. John.
World War I was supposed to be the last war. Still, then World War II and the Korean War happened, so on June 1, 1954, at the urging of veterans' service organizations, Congress amended the commemoration yet again by changing the word "armistice" to "veterans" so the day would honor American veterans of all wars.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a veteran who had served as the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and who had become a five-star general of the Army before his political career, later issued a proclamation asking Americans to observe Veterans Day:
"[L]et us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."
For a while, Veterans Day's date was changed, too, and it confused everybody.
Congress signed the Uniform Holiday Bill in 1968 to ensure that a few federal holidays—including Veterans Day—would be celebrated on a Monday. Officials hoped this would spur travel and other family activities over a long weekend, which would stimulate the economy.
For some inexplicable reason, the bill set Veterans Day commemorations for the fourth Monday of every October. The first Veterans Day under this new bill was held on October 25, 1971. It is a mystery why it took three years to implement. Still, not surprisingly, there was a lot of confusion about the change, and many states were unhappy, choosing to continue to recognize the day as they previously
had—in November.
Within a few years, it became apparent that most U.S. citizens wanted to celebrate Veterans Day on November 11 because of its historic and patriotic significance. So, on September 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed another law (Public Law 94-97), which returned the annual observance to its original date starting in 1978.
Whether you attended the ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park or simply reflected on the struggles our nation experiences (past, present, and future) to preserve our founding principles of freedom, it is important to give pause and be thankful for all the men and women (including the families) who put on a military uniform and were willing to fight to preserve those rights of freedom. Freedom is a constant song.
Senator Stivers assisted D.A.V. Commander Morris, and a fresh wreath was laid to honor each Veteran who has served. D.A.V. member Danny Robinson played TAPS. Thank you, Veterans, for your service. We are thankful and blessed.
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