Veterans Day Vs Memorial Day: Understanding The Difference
So you may be wondering whatâs the difference between Memorial Day and Veteranâs Day. Donât worry weâre here to help you so you wonât embarrass yourself.
Most people get confused and end up saying something that shows that they do not know the difference between the two. Weâll help clear the confusion in this article.
Memorial Day: This holiday is to honor those who have served in the military and have died. This holiday tends to fall on the very last Monday of May.
There are online resources such as the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs who will explain the meaning and Memorial Day came to be.
In their words, they recall the idea of how Memorial Day first came to be. On May 5th of 1868, three long years after the Civil War, the Grand Army of Republic wanted a day to honor those who have fallen by giving flowers to them in their grave. At the time, the mayor, John A. Logan, decided to declare this special day on May 30 to commemorate military members who had fallen in battle. The reasoning behind this date is because flowers would bloom no matter what part of the country you live in.
In 1971, Congress passed the National Holiday Act, which officially declared this an American holiday.
Youâd also be surprised that people also confuse Labor Day with honoring the troops as well. Labor Day is a holiday to commemorate American workers, but it doesnât have anything to do with the military.
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Memorial Day Veterans Day And Armed Forces Day: What’s The Difference
While Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Armed Forces Day acknowledge the service and sacrifices of our military members, it’s essential to understand the difference between these important days.
Veterans are often thanked for their service on Memorial Day and during the holiday weekend when we should be honoring our fallen heroes who died in service to our country. Some veterans will politely acknowledge your appreciation and continue with their day. Some will gently remind you that today is not about them. Some may show frustration for your not understanding the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
“As a Marine veteran, while it’s unacceptable to be rude, it is acceptable to correct somebody so that they understand the difference. Veterans are thanked for their service frequently, but for one day every year, we should focus on those who sacrificed everything for this country.” — David Ogden, Marine Veteran
Famous Veterans Day Quotes
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the countrys service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”Woodrow Wilson
“Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for theyve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us.” Ronald Reagan
“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”Douglas MacArthur
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How To Celebrate Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day is the lesser-known day of celebration when compared to Veterans Day or Memorial Day, but its just as important and valuable and should definitely be celebrated. This is the day when you can recognize all members of the military, past and present.
Service members may love what they do, but leaving their friends and family or even taking their family all around the world with them from base to base takes a lot of sacrifices. Many military families dont get to settle down until theyre retired. For every military family, there is the strain of deployment, time away, constantly moving from one location to another, and, in time of war, the continual question whether their loved one will return.
These men and women, past and present, deserve recognition and thanks. During Armed Forces Day, youll be able to find festivities and parades on or near military bases. Look up and see what celebrations are occurring in your area and plan to attend some with your family. Explain to your children why these men and women are so important and why they deserve to be recognized.
Whether youre celebrating friends you know, parents who served, or your children who have decided to follow in a family members footsteps, recognizing the men and women of the Armed Forces is an important opportunity to show them how appreciated they truly are.
Who Does Memorial Day Honor
Memorial Day is also a celebration of military veterans, but the mood is more somber. The occasion is reserved for those who died while serving their country. The day was first observed in the wake of the Civil War, where local communities organized tributes around the gravesites of fallen soldiers. The observation was originally called Decoration Day because the graves were adorned with flowers.
It was originally held on May 30 because that date wasn’t the anniversary for any battle in particular and all soldiers could be honored. After World War I, the day shifted from remembering the fallen in the Civil War to those who had perished in all of America’s conflicts. It gradually became known as Memorial Day and was declared a federal holiday and moved to the last Monday in May to organize a three-day weekend beginning in 1971.
The easiest way to think of the two holidays is to consider Veterans Day a time to shake the hand of a veteran who stood up for our freedoms. Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor those who are no longer around to receive your gratitude personally.
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A version of this story ran in 2019 it has been updated for 2021.
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A Brief History Of Memorial Day And Veterans Day
Memorial Day began as something called Decoration Day in the years following the end of the Civil War in 1865. On May 5, 1868, an organization for Union vets called the Grand Army of the Republic established Decoration Day on May 30.
It was intended as a way to honor soldiers lost in the Civil War, strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land according to the original proclamation by the organizations leader, General John A. Logan.
Enter Armistice Day, Later Known As Veterans Day
Veterans Day has a similar connection in its origin story thanks to World War One, but in the case of Veterans Day, the end of the war was the catalyst for the creation of the holiday rather than a modification of it ala Memorial Day.
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The end of World War One became known as Armistice Day. Hostilities ended on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour with the signing of the armistice agreement Armistice Day was named in honor of this final moment of the war to end all wars.
Armistice Day would soon give way to Veterans Day via presidential declaration in 1954.
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Difference Between Memorial Day And Veterans Day
Fact checked by Brain Bartell
Memorial Day and Veterans Day are both set aside for military members. However, they are not exactly the same. Todays article will give you information on the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Hence, to make sure you do not embarrass yourself when talking about these celebrations, stick until the very end!
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How To Honor Veterans Day And Memorial Day
On Memorial Day you can honor the fallen by attending memorial services within your community, laying flowers and planting flags on graves at your local Veterans cemetery, educate the children about the importance of this day or observe the the moment of silence at 3 pm on Memorial Day.
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Veterans Day is an opportunity to do the same, but it is also an appropriate time to show your appreciation to veteran friends and family via social media or in person. You can also fly the American flag outside your home, visiting or volunteering at a Veteran facility, attending a local event, and by thanking veterans and their families for their service.
Spelling Of Veterans Day
While the holiday is commonly printed as Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day in calendars and advertisements, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website states that the attributive rather than the possessive case is the official spelling “because it is not a day that ‘belongs’ to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans.”
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Q: Why is Veterans Day always on the same date instead of being a Monday like many other holidays?
J.S.
Answer: Veterans Day is always on Nov. 11 because the fighting in World War I ended with an armistice, or truce, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Though the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war, was signed on June 28, 1919, the Nov. 11 date was generally seen as the end of the war.
In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson designated Nov. 11 as Armistice Day. In 1938, Congress established Armistice Day as a holiday for honoring WWI veterans. In 1954, Congress changed the word “Armistice” to “Veterans” to make the holiday a day to honor all war veterans.
The observance of Veterans Day was moved in the 1970s to make it the same day of the week each year. In 1968, the Uniform Holiday Bill went into effect. It was meant to create three-day weekends for federal workers by pegging the observance of four holidays, including Veterans Day, to Mondays. Veterans Day moved to Mondays starting Oct. 24, 1971, but the change proved unpopular and in 1978 it was moved back to Nov. 11.
“When Veterans Day falls on a weekday, many communities choose to hold Veterans Day parades or other celebrations on the weekend before or after Nov. 11 so that more people can participate,” according to the website.
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How To Celebrate Memorial Day
Memorial Day is ultimately a day of remembrance. It is a day to think of the sacrifice that has been made by men and women for the freedoms America enjoys. The men and women who gave up their lives were mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, best friends, cousins, husbands, and wives. Each had a family that was deeply impacted by their death.
Because of this, a National Moment of Remembrance has been established during Memorial Day at 3:00 pm. From 3:00-3:01 pm local time, there is a moment of silence to hold space and memorialize those lost in wars. During some observances, such as those at Arlington National Cemetery, a 21 gun salute is used to recognize the sacrifice and seriousness of the day.
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James Hoch Photography Captures Memorial Day Observances
Update, June 1, 2022 / Click the link below for hundreds of photos by Jim Hoch capturing a week of preparations to observe Memorial Day up through May 30, 2022. Photos:
Throughout the year, Jim Hoch also collects photos and data on the now 3,044 Veterans on which gravesite flags are placed during the Memorial Day Week. If any family member is a Veteran who at one time lived in Naperville, please send name, date of birth, date of death, conflict, branch of service, rank, cemetery where buried and any interesting facts to Hoch at jehoch1@aol.com. Hoch will send you a PDF of his list of all 3,044 Veterans upon request. Thank you.
Armed Forces Day Began To Unite Military Celebration Days
Today, there are six branches of the United States Military the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Each branch has its own days during which they recognize their role in Americas history. The Marine Corps, for example, celebrates their birthday on the day the corps was founded. However, there was no single holiday for the civilians of America to celebrate all branches of the Armed Forces together.
President Harry S. Truman decided there should be a day when all branches of the military are recognized and honored. After he got the ball rolling, Armed Forces Day was officially created on August 31, 1949. Today, this day is celebrated during the third Saturday in May.
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Veterans Day Honors All Living Who Served In The Military
Veterans Day is a day when honor, respect, and tribute is paid to the men and women who have served in any capacity in the Armed Forces. It is a day to respect and thank those who have fought and served the United States.
This is the day to tag your former military friends on Facebook and thank them for their lifetime of service and dedication. Veterans Day isnt solely for those who fought in war, but for all those who have served in the US military.
What Is Veterans Day
Celebrated on or around November 11 every year in the United States, Veterans Day was initially called Armistice Day. An armistice is “a truce, ceasefire, or temporary agreement made by both sides of the war to stop fighting.” Its borrowed from the French word armistice that means the same thing.
World War I ended with an armistice in 1918. Historically and poetically, it was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1938, Armistice Day was designated a federal holiday.
In 1954, Armistice Day was officially amended and changed to Veterans Day. Armistice Day was initially a holiday to honor those who served during World War I, but it turns out that more wars have happened since then. Veterans Day officially celebrated all veterans.
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Veterans Day Began After World War I
On November 11, 1918, Armistice was officially declared, ending World War I, known to that generation as The Great War. It was thought that World War I would be the war to end wars and that wed finally see the last of it. That, however, was not the case.
In 1919, President Wilson declared November 11 to be celebrated nationally as Armistice Day. This was to be an opportunity to celebrate all those who served in WWI and were veterans of that engagement.
In 1954, however, America had just gone through World War II and Armistice Day was no longer a broad enough day of recognition. Now, we had servicemen and women who served in WWII that needed to be honored and recognized. Congress officially changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day and then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law.
Though the date of remembrance was changed once, it was quickly changed back to November 11, marking the day that WWI concluded. To this day, Veterans Day celebrates all veterans that have fought for America and the holiday is celebrated on November 11, no matter what day of the week it falls on.
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It emerged after the American Civil War to pay tribute and homage to the soldiers who had died during the war.
The Grand Army of the Republic established this federal national holiday, and Major General John A. Logan announced that the holiday should be on May 30 for decorating the graves of the soldiers who died in the war with flowers.
The Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C, on May 30, 1868, was the first place where such a solemn memorial event happened in the presence of President Lyndon B Johnson.
Memorial Day was formerly called Decoration Day and is acknowledged every year as the last Monday of May.
Memorial Day is a tribute that is solemnly given to all the soldiers who died during the war. To celebrate this day, the US flag is raised quickly to the upper-most part of the staff and then lowered to the half-staff position. Here, the flag remains until noon, and then it is raised to the full-staff position for the remainder of the day.
Each year on November 11, a moment of remembrance takes place at 1500 hours local time. The graves of the fallen people are decorated with flowers.
Government offices, agencies, and institutions schools are all closed on this day. The employees working in the private companies also get a holiday on this day.
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An Easy Way To Honor Veterans
On any of these given holidays, it’s easy to honor our current servicemen and women and veterans in a variety of ways. One of the easiest things you can do to a veteran and/or spouse of a veteran is to inform them of the veterans Aid and Attendance pension benefit that can help them pay for the cost of care. Please refer them to www.VeteranAid.org or have them call 913-2555. So many veterans are missing out on thousands of dollars to help them pay for costs of care. Please help us spread the word of the Aid and Attendance benefit.