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Veterans Day
“He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle."
Psalm 18:34 and 144:1
Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11th to honor all veterans, deceased and living, who served in all branches of the United States Armed Forces. Some confuse or interchange Memorial Day observances with Veterans Day observances. However, Memorial Day observances are reserved for those service members who died while in military service.
Veterans Day was previously observed as Armistice Day, which marked the anniversary of the end of World War I, that formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The holiday name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954, after veteran Raymond Weeks had the idea to expand Armistice Day to all veterans, not just those who died in World War I.
Veterans Day is spelled without the apostrophe, giving it no possession. The Department of United States Veterans Affairs has proclaimed,"because it is not a day that 'belongs' to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans."
After the creation of the new Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989 as a cabinet-level department, the VA initiated a competition among employees for a seal design that would give the new department a "new look". The winner of that competition, and creator of today's VA seal was David E. Gregory, a medical media production specialist at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center. The key elements of the seal are:
The eagle represents the United States.
The circle of five stars above the eagle represents the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
The two flags in the eagle's talons represent the span of America’s history from 13 colonies to the present 50 states.
VETERANS SEAL
The flags are bound by a golden cord symbolic of those Americans who have fallen in service to their country.
The eagle holds the cord to perpetuate the memory of those veterans who have fallen and sacrificed for the nation.
The seal’s colors are derived from the American flag and the natural colors of the earth, representing the Nation’s commitment to its veterans.
AMERICA'S WARS
Millions of Americans, throughout our history, have served their country in time of war since the Revolutionary War in 1775. Below are two screenshots I've taken from the Department of Veterans Affairs, that show a brief overview, showing statistics as of November 2023, of America’s Wars.
If you click the link below, the documents will come up as a .pdf document you can download to view or print, if you wish.
As we walk through our days, tending to our families, friends, duties and tasks, let us always honor our Veterans by keeping thankfulness and gratitude in our hearts for the men and women who have made a sacrifice in their own lives, to help preserve the freedoms we enjoy and cherish. God bless America and God bless our American Veterans.