VOA文化艺术2024--What Is Veterans Day in the US?

World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France on June 28, 1919.

However, fighting had stopped seven months earlier with an armistice¹, or an agreement to stop fighting, between the Allied² nations and Germany on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

The date, November 11, is now remembered as Veterans Day, a holiday to thank and honor all who served in the United States military.

The celebration first started on November 11, 1919, as Armistice Day. At the time, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson said the day "will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism³ of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude⁴ for the victory..." The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says there were plans to observe the day with parades, public meetings, and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

In 1926, the U.S. Congress officially recognized November 11, 1918, as the end of World War I. And in 1938, the body passed legislation to make the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday. Known as "Armistice Day," it was a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.

After American involvement in World War II and the Korean War, at the urging of veterans' organizations, Congress changed the law in 1954 to call it Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The date for Veterans Day was changed in 1968 with the signing of the Uniform Holiday Act. With the law, Congress intended to create a three-day weekend for Americans by moving the holiday to a Monday in November. Many states and veterans' organizations did not agree with this decision. They continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11, leading to confusion. So, Congress returned the holiday to its original date.

Many Americans are confused about Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the other holiday honoring military service, which is observed on the last Monday in May.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says that both holidays "were established to recognize and honor the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces."

Memorial Day is set aside as a day for remembering and honoring those who died in the service of their country. For most Americans, it also marks the unofficial start of summer and a popular weekend for vacationing.

Veterans Day is largely intended to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military, living or dead, and in wartime or peace.

To ensure that people remember Veterans Day, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act in 2016. The law called on the people of the United States to observe a two-minute national moment of silence on Veterans Day at 2:11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time across all states and territories of the United States.

Words in This Story

solemn -adj. done in a serious and respectful way

gratitude -n. a feeling of thankfulness

original -adj. what existed first before a following event

intend -v. to mean to do something; to do something with the idea of having an identifiable effect

1 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

2 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

3 heroism   

n.大无畏精神，英勇

参考例句：

• He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
• Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。

4 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。