Before it was Veterans Day, November 11 was known as Armistice Day. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that November 11, 1919, would mark the first Armistice Day in recognition of those who served in World War I. He chose that day because hostilities halted at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, even though the Treaty of Versailles, ending the war, wasn’t signed until June 1919.
President Eisenhower issued a proclamation changing November 11 to Veterans Day in 1954. The day was designated as a legal holiday to remember all members of the Armed Services, regardless of when they served. From 1968 through 1978, Veterans Day was celebrated on a Monday to provide federal employees a three-day weekend.
In 1975, President Ford signed a law making November 11 Veterans Day, regardless of the day of the week. Many Americans felt the date was of such significance that it should be observed when World War I hostilities ceased, not on a convenient Monday. The permanent change was seen as a fitting tribute to America’s veterans and their sacrifices for the common good.
Veterans founded the Card Lock Company to secure facilities such as VFW halls where veterans could gather. Card Lock has and continues to observe Veterans Day to remember the men and women who have sacrificed and served to protect America.
