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Here are some of the best and most famous Veteran’s Day Quotes:
“Freedom is never free.” ~ Author Unknown
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” ~ Maya Angelou
“When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?” ~ George Canning
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” ~ G.K. Chesterton
“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” ~ Elmer Davis
“But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument today, and for aye.” ~ Thomas Dunn English
“I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.” ~ Gary Hart
“Lord, bid war’s trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy
“The most persistent sound which reverberates through men’s history is the beating of war drums.” ~ Arthur Koestler
“I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, ‘Mother, what was war?'” ~ Eve Merriam
“Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.” ~ Michel de Montaigne
“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” ~ Jose Narosky
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” ~ Cynthia Ozick
“The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war.” ~ Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
A Brief History of Veteran’s Day
On the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month” in 1918, the “Great War” ended, stopping the sounds of battle all over Europe.
Although the United States just recently entered World War I, nearly 5 million men were called into service and more than 116,000 died while serving, 63,000 of those from disease. American wounded numbered 670,000 many by poison gas.
The last American veteran from the “Great War” died in 2007.
The first Armistice Day was observed on November 11, 1919. President Woodrow Wilson asked all Americans to reflect on those who died while serving their country during the war by pausing for two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. on this date. Remembrances and parades were held all over the country to honor the fallen, mirroring similar observances in France, Great Britain, and Belgium.
Across Europe, nearly every family suffered the loss of a son, father, or brother in the Great War. In France, 25 percent of military age men died and another 50 percent were wounded. The English referred to their losses as the “Lost Generation,” with nearly half the men of military age killed or wounded. Austria and Germany suffered losses of a similar magnitude. No one knows how many Russians perished.
Congress declared November 11, 1921, as a federal holiday to honor all who served in the war and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated in Arlington National Cemetery on that day.
Armistice Day was not recognized as an “official” annual federal holiday. Until 1938, though it was observed each year throughout the nation and was a state prior to that time.
In 1954, the name of the holiday was officially changed from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day in the United States to acknowledge the sacrifices of World War II and the Korean War.
To all veterans, a sincere and heartfelt thank you for your service and sacrifice. Here’s more on how we can honor our heroes.
