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Veterans Day is one of ten federal
holidays that is recognized
nationwide by the United States Government.
It is celebrated every November 11th and
is designated as a day to honor all who
have served in the military.
Veterans Day day is a remembrance of all
U.S. military veterans - past and
present. Congress made it an
official holiday with the passage of the
National Holiday Act in 1971.
Veterans Day was formerly known as
Armistice Day. It was originally
set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the
end of World War I. This day was
originally intended to honor veterans of
World War I.
On the
11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
in 1918, an
armistice between Germany and the Allied
nations went into effect. On
November 11, 1919 Armistice Day was
commemorated for the first time.
President Wilson proclaimed the day
should be "filled with solemn pride in
the heroism of those who died in the
country's service and with gratitude for
the victory".
On
In 1926, the U.S. Congress
officially recognized the end of World
War I and declared the anniversary of
the armistice be commemorated with
prayer and thanksgiving. They also
issued a proclamation that all officials
display the U.S. flag on all government
buildings on November 11th. In 1954, the
veterans service organizations urged
Congress to change the word "Armistice"
to "Veterans".
Of
our 45 presidents, over half of them
have served in
the military. Up until World War
11, the majority of our presidents
served in the Army. Since then,
most served in the Navy.
Following are some interesting facts
about the veteran population of the
United States:
* 16.1 million living veterans
served in at least one war.
* 5.2 million veterans served in peacetime.
* 2 million veterans are women.
* 7 million veterans served in the Vietnam War.
* 5.5 million veterans served in the Persian Gulf
War.
Veterans Day is a sacred American
holiday that is often celebrated with
somber remembrances and ceremonies.
Every year on November 11th, a ceremony
is held at Arlington National Cemetery
to commemorate this holiday.
During this ceremony, the President of
the United States places a wreath on the
Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. Many
small towns and cities all over the US
hold parades and various ceremonies and
activities in honor of our Veterans
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Presidents Who Served In The
Military |
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Chester A. Arthur, New York Militia.
Brigadier General of the New York
Militia before and during the Civil
War. |
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James Buchanan, Pennsylvania State
Militia. Private, War of 1812. |
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George H. W. Bush, US Naval Reserve.
Lieutenant, Naval aviator in WW II.
Shot down and received the
Distinguished Flying Cross. |
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George W. Bush, Texas National
Guard. First Lieutenant, served
stateside as pilot during the
Vietnam War (1968-1973). |
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Jimmy Carter, US Navy. Midshipman,
US Naval Academy during World War
II. Sea duty and stateside service
(1946-1953) during the Korean War. |
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, US Army.
General, stateside service during
World War I. Served as Supreme
Allied Commander in Europe during
World II (1942-1945). |
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Millard Fillmore, New York State
Militia. Major, served in New York
Militia in 1820s and 1830s.
Organized Union Continentals Home
Guard Unit in Buffalo, New York
during the Civil War. |
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Gerald Ford, US Naval Reserve.
Lieutenant Commander, World War II
(1942-1945) combat on USS Monterey. |
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James Garfield, US Army. Major
General, served in the American Civil War
(1861-1863). |
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Ulysses S.
Grant,
US Army. General, served in in the
Mexican-American Civil War and
American Civil War. Served in the
years 1843-1854 and 1861-1868. |
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Benjamin Harrison, US Army.
Brigadier General, commanded battles
of Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw
Mountain, Marietta, Peachtree Creek
and Atlanta. Also commanded a
brigade during Sherman's March to
the Sea. |
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William Henry Harrison, US Army.
Major General, served in Northwest
Indian War and War of 1812. |
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Rutherford B. Hayes, US Army. Major
General, served in the American
Civil War. Wounded at the Battle of
South Mountain. Also served at the
Battle of Antietam. |
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Andrew Jackson,
Continental Army, US Army. Major
General, American Revolutionary War,
War of 1812, Creek War, First
Seminole War. |
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Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Militia.
Colonel, Commander of Albemarle
County Militia at beginning of
American Revolution. |
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Andrew Johnson, US Army. Brigadier
General, served in Tennessee Militia
in 1830s and American Civil War. |
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Lyndon B. Johnson, US Naval Reserve.
Commander during World War II -
awarded the Silver Star. |
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John F. Kennedy, US Naval Reserve.
Lieutenant, served in combat during
World War II. Awarded the Navy and
Marine Corps Medal and the Purple
Heart. |
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Abraham Lincoln, Illinois State
Militia. Captain, served in the
Black Hawk War. |
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James Madison, Virginia Militia.
Colonel, Commander of Orange County
Militia at start of American
Revolution. Commanded troops during
the Battle of Bladensburg. |
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William McKinley, US Army. Major,
served in the American Civil War.
Fought in Battle of South Mountain,
The Battle of Antietam and in the
Valley Campaigns of 1864. |
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James Monroe, Continental Army.
Major, served in the War of 1812,
Black Hawk War, Second Seminole
Revolution War. |
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Richard Nixon, US Naval Reserve.
Commander, served in World War II
(1942-1945); earned two Battle Stars
for his service in the Pacific. |
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Franklin Pierce, US Army. Brigadier
General, served in the
Mexican-American War. Commanded
infantry Brigade at Battle of
Contreras, Battle of Churubusco and
the assault on Mexico City. |
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James K. Polk, Tennessee State
Militia. Colonel, joined cavalry
unit in Tennessee Militia as a
Captain. Later appointed a Colonel
on the staff of Governor William
Carroll. |
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Ronald Regan, US Army Reserve, US
Army Air Forces. Captain, served in
Army Reserve (1937-1942). Stateside
service during World War II
(1942-1945). |
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Theodore Roosevelt, US Army.
Colonel, served in Spanish-American
War as second in command. Then,
served as the Commander of the 1st
US Volunteer Cavalry (Rough Riders).
The only US president to receive the
Medal of Honor which was awarded
posthumously in 2001. |
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William Howard Taft, Connecticut
Home Guard. US Secretary of
War 1904-1908. Enlisted in
Connecticut Home Guard for World War
I. |
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Zachary Taylor, US Army. Major
General, served in War of 1812,
Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War
& Mexican American War. |
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Harry S. Truman, Missouri Army
National Guard, US Army, US Army
Reserves. Colonel, served in
Missouri National Guard (1905-1911);
combat in France during World War I
(1917-1918). |
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John Tyler, Virginia Militia.
Captain, War of 1812. |
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George Washington, Virginia Militia,
Continental Army, US Army. General
of the Armies of the US, served in
the French and Indian War and
American Revolutionary War. |
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Entertainers Who Served In The
Military |
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Don Adams, US Marines. Wounded
on Guadalcanal - then served as a
Drill Instructor. |
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Danny
Aiello, US Army. Lied
about his age to enlist at age 16 -
served 3 years. |
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Claude
Akins, US Army. Signal Corps, Burma
and the Philippines. |
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Eddie Albert, US
Coast Guard. Bronze Star with
Combat V for saving several Marines
under fire during the invasion of
Tarawa. |
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James Arness,
US Army. Served as an
infantryman & was wounded at Anzo,
Italy. |
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Gene
Autry,
US Air Corps. Crewman on
Transports that ferried supplies
into the China-Burma-India Theater. |
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Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners
Mate 1c, destroyer USS Lamberton -
10 years active duty.
Discharged in 1941 & re-enlisted
after Pearl Harbor. |
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Charles Bronson, US Army
Air Corps. B-17 gunner, wounded in
action. |
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Mel
Brooks,
US
Army. Combat Engineer. |
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Raymond Burr, US Navy.
Medically discharged after being
shot in the abdomen on Okinawa.
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Harry Carey, Jr., US Navy. |
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Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on
Normandy Beach, D-Day. |
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Chuck Connors, US Army. Tank-warfare
Instructor. |
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William Conrad, US Army Air Corps.
Fighter Pilot. |
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Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS
Proteus. |
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Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in
the Pacific. Wounded in action and
medically discharged. |
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Charles Durning, US Army. Landed at
Normandy on D-Day. He was shot
multiple times. Awarded the Silver
Star and Bronze Star and three
Purple hearts. |
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Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS
Satterlee. |
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Clark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17
Gunner over Europe. |
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George Gobel, Army Air Corps.
Instructor of fighter pilots. |
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Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps. |
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James Gregory, US Navy and US
Marines. |
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Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman. |
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Buddy Hackett, US Army .
Anti-aircraft gunner. |
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Sterling Hayden, US Marines and OSS.
Smuggled guns into Yugoslavia and
parachuted into Croatia. Awarded Silver
Star. |
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Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps.
Radio operator and aerial gunner on
a B-25 Aleutians. |
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William Holden, US Army Air Corps. |
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Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft
mechanic in the Philippines. |
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Brian Keith, US Marines.
Radioman/Gunner in dive bombers. |
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George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted
after Pearl Harbor. |
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DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps. |
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Jack Klugman, US Army. |
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Ted Knight, US Army. Combat
Engineers. |
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Harvey Korman, US Navy. |
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Don Knotts, US Army. |
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Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th
Air Force, NCO. |
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Lee Marvin, US Marines. Sniper.
Wounded in action on Saipan. |
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Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps.
B-24 Radioman/Gunner and
Cryptographer. |
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Victor Mature, US US Coast Guard. |
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Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps. |
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Ed McMahon, US Marines, Fighter
Pilot. |
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Robert Mitchum, US Army. |
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Robert Montgomery, US Navy. |
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Audie Murphy, US Army. America's
most decorated soldier. |
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Paul Newman, US Navy. Rear
Seat Radioman/Gunner torpedo bombers
of USS Bunker Hill. |
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Hugh O'Brian, US Marines |
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Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps.
Severely injured bailing out of a
burning B-24 bomber. |
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Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines.
Booted from Pilot Training for being
too tall, joined Marines as a Radio
Operator. |
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Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps.
Intelligence Officer. |
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Tyrone Power, US Marines, Transport
Pilot in the Pacific Theater. |
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Ronald Reagan, US Army. 2nd Lt. in
the Cavalry Reserves before the war.
Due to poor vision, when the war
started he could not go overseas
with his unit. He then transferred
to the Army Air Corps Public
Relations Unit. |
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Don Rickles, US Navy. Aboard USS
Cyrene. |
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Jason Robards, US Navy. Was aboard
the USS Northampton when it sunk off
Guadalcanal |
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Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank
Commander in North Africa under
Patton. Wounded twice. |
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Cesar Romeo, UC Coast Guard. |
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Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton.
Bronze Star |
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Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS
Randall in the South Pacific. |
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Telly Savalas, US Army. |
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Randolph Scott, US Army. World War I |
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Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps,
Fighter Pilot and later Instruction
Pilot. |
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Rod Serling, US Army 11th Airborne
Division in the Pacific. |
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Robert Stack, US Navy, Gunnery
Officer |
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Rod Steiger, US Navy. |
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Frank Sutton, US Army |
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Forest Tucker, US Army |
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Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot |
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Johnathan Winters, US Marine Corps.
Battleship USS Wisconsin and Carrier
USS Bon Homme Richard. Anti-aircraft
Gunner. Battle of Okinawa. |
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Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., US Army.
Severely wounded at Huertgen Forest.
Purple Heart. |
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Page Created: 1/11/20
Page Updated: 4/22/20 |
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