Please don’t mistake Veterans Day for Memorial Day.
In the USA, we have different days than the UK, Canada, and Europe to commemorate veterans. November 11 is Armistice Day, but Americans only swooped in at the last minute of WWI, so we don’t really learn much about it. I took my family to visit the memorials in Flanders.
Veterans Day on 11 November honors those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926.
With the approval of legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation.”
Memorial Day is a federal holiday the last Monday in May, in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. We don’t ever say, “Happy Memorial Day.”
Armed Forces Day is an unofficial U.S. holiday earlier in May to honor those currently serving in the armed forces.
My grandfather served his whole life in the US Navy.
My dad served a tour in the Navy, then retired from US Army Reserves.
My husband is looking forward to retiring from the US Air Force. His grandfather and uncle also served in the Air Force.
We’re a military family.
We’ve been fortunate to live in many interesting places like Hawaii and Germany.
We’re resilient, even through the stress of moving around frequently and deployments. Being a military spouse has its challenges. Military kids are unique for sure.
Resources:
- Military Kids
- Flanders WWI Sites
- World War I Unit Study
- Normandy WWII Sites
- World War II Unit Study
- American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg
- Pearl Harbor Sites
- Memorial Day
- Revolutionary War Unit Study
- Civil War Unit Study
- Middle East Unit Study
- Korea Unit Study
- Vietnam Unit Study
- Operation We Are Here
- Veterans Day from Scholastic
- Veterans Day from PBS
- The Homeschool Mom Veterans Day Unit
- Simple Veterans Day Preschool Unit Study
- Veterans Day Guide from I Choose Joy
- Year Round Homeschooling Veterans Day Unit
- Worksheets from Kids Konnect
- Patriotic Crafts from Enchanted Learning
- PreK Pages Crafts
- Veterans Day Notebooking Pages from In All You Do
- Productive Homeschooling Veterans Day Notebooking Pages
What does Veterans Day mean to you?
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That was interesting – we just have ‘Remembrance Sunday’ here in the UK on November 11th, which is to remember all those who lost their lives while serving in the forces during conflict. It is usually a big occasion with parades and services held in every town at a memorial monument – this year due to COVID everything will be scaled down. There will still be a two minute silence at 11am and a televised service. It was good to hear that you also have a Veterans day to acknowledge those who served, and whose lives are often affected by their service!
I think that is where the confusion lies. I’m not sure why USA chose to place Veterans Day on 11 November and Memorial Day in May. I think it should be the other way around. So few even really know world and USA history.
And, yes, all the events this year have been cancelled due to COVID.
Thank you for this post that clears up the differences of the holidays. It saddens me that so many do not know the meaning of these days, only as a day off. Both my father and father in law served in the Air Force in WW2. My brothers were Air Force and Army and my husband served in Vietnam Army/Infantry. Thankfully our children and grandchildren have so much respect for the sacrifice and honor of their relatives and will always keep these holidays as they were intended.
Thank you for sharing this great post! I have always read up more on this holiday because I am a Veteran’s Day birthday girl. I actually noticed Veteran’s Day cards this year for the first time!
Great lesson! Thank you for sharing at Embracing Home and Family!