As we prepare for a National Day of Remembrance  on Novemember 11th, I thought a little history might be helpful.

Originally named Armistice Day, this holiday was created to remember those that fell during World War I – which ended at 11 am on November 11, 1918. It became Veterans Day in 1954 and expanded to honor and remember veterans of all wars.

The earliest memorial services honored unidentified soldiers killed in battle. The idea for the Tomb of the Unknowns originated with a British chaplain serving in France who came across a grave with a crude wooden cross inscribed with the following words: An unknown British soldier of the Black Watch.

The clergyman made arrangements for the remains to be returned to England, where on Armistice Day in 1920 they were laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. The French honored their unknown dead at the Arc de Triumphe. A similar practice was proposed by an American general for unidentified American soldiers. In 1921, the body of an unknown soldier was interred in a tomb built in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Today, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of Arlington’s most visited sites. It bears the words:

Here Rests In Honored Glory an American Soldier Known But To God.

The nation honors its war dead with special services at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Those in attendance observe two minutes of silence, followed by the playing of taps. A wreath is then placed at the tomb, which houses the graves of three unknown Americans who fought in War World I, World War II, and the Korean War. A wreath is also placed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C

If you would like to learn more here is a link to the Department of Veteran Affairs: 

Be sure to say thank you to any veterans or active service men or women you see today and keep them in your hearts always.