Today, university offices are closed and students do not have classes in observance of Veterans Day. In the United States, Veterans Day is a time when we express our appreciation for individuals who have served in our armed forces. You might know students, faculty and staff members, family members, friends or members of your community who have served, and I encourage you to take the time to thank them for their service and their bravery.
Historically, Veterans Day has been observed on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in remembrance of the armistice, which began on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, ending the fighting in World War I. One year after the armistice went into effect and only a few months after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, President Woodrow Wilson began the tradition of commemorating our veterans on November 11. Originally proclaimed “Armistice Day,” President Wilson declared it a time “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” In 1954, Congress amended the holiday to “Veterans Day.” Since then, we have used this as a time to honor all American veterans, not just those who served in World War I.
Last week, on Thursday, Nov. 7, we held an appreciation ceremony for veterans in Levin College’s Glickman-Miller Hall. To everyone who attended, thank you for joining us. And thanks to our Veteran and Military Student Success Center for coordinating such a respectful event.
This year, let us remember the purpose of this day as President Dwight D. Eisenhower so eloquently proclaimed: “…let 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.”
