Veterans Day: Without the Apostrophe

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATED ON NOVEMBER 11

Photo: Joseph Ambrose in 1982 at the Dedication Parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He's seen holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.

Veterans Day is set aside to honor all veterans, living or deceased, who fought for this country. It's a time where the country can stop and thank veterans for their service.

This day was originally called Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I, the war that would end all wars. Unfortunately World War II and the Korean War happened, which is why Memorial Day was created...to honor the fallen heroes. The first Armistice Day was recognized on November 11, 1919, with a message issued from President Woodrow Wilson.

By May 13, 1938, a Congressional Act would make the day a legal holiday. Then on June 1, 1954, Congress amended the bill to replace "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day ever since.

Did You Know?: Although Veterans Day was originally celebrated on November 11, starting in 1971, in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day moved to the fourth Monday of October through 1977. Then, in 1978, it was moved back to its original date on November 11.

Additional Fun Fact: There is no apostrophe in the spelling of Veterans Day, although it's commonly printed with it. However, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs states there is no apostrophe "because it is not a day that 'belongs' to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans."

Other countries celebrate this day as well, but they call it by another name. For instance, Canada, Great Britain,
and Australia call it Remembrance Day.

TAKE A LOOK AT VETERANS MEMORIALS IN THE U.S. & ABROAD
Photo: District of Columbia War Memorial Located on the National Mall, it was built in 1931 to honor WWI soldiers that died.	Photo: "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London on Sept. 10, 2014.There were 888,246 ceramic poppies lad to represent an allied victim from WWI.
Photo: The Indian Memorial in Villers-Guislain in the Nord region of France. It's the site of a battle between the Germans and the Allies (which included an Indian cavalry regiment).	Photo: WWI Douaumont Ossuary near Verdun, France. A memorial containing the skeletal remains of soldiers who died during the Battle of Verdun in WWI.
	Photo Above: The National War Memorial, aka "The Response," symbolizing the sacrifice of all Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have served Canada in time of war in the cause of peace and freedom. It was first unveiled in 1939 to commemorate their response in WWI. It's located at Confederation Square in Ottawa, Ontario. Photo Left: The ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Memorial in Sydney, Australia memorializing the fallen of Australia and New Zealand. It's located in Hyde Park South near Liverpool Street in the CBD of Sydney, Australia. It opened on November 24, 1964 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester.

RECOMMENDED READING MATERIALS @ YOUR LIBRARY
	ANZAC GIRLS by: Peter Rees Call Number: eBook on Hoopla By the end of the Great War, 45 Australian and New Zealand nurses had died on overseas service and over two hundred had been decorated. These were the women who left for war looking for adventure and romance but were soon confronted with challenges for which their civilian lives could never have prepared them. Their strength and dignity were remarkable. Using diaries and letters, the author takes us into the hospital camps and the wards, and the tent surgeries on the edge of some of the most horrific battlefronts of human history.
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	VETERANS DAY by: Marlene Targ Brill Call Number: J 394.264 BRI Series: On My Own Holidays Outlines the history of Veterans Day from its beginnings after World War I, and describes several ways citizens honor war veterans.
	ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR ONE by: Ian Westall Call Number: 623.409 WES Covers the weaponry of both the Allied and Central powers, with specification boxes providing information on each technology, and over 180 photographs.
	THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN 100 OBJECTS by John Hughes-Wilson Call Number: 940.3 HUG Objects presented in this volume are taken from the collections of Britain's Imperial War Museum.
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