This month I thought I would write about November 11, Veterans Day, a very special day. On November 11, 1918 was the day World War I, or known at the time as the Great War, ended. Fifteen million people died in this war. A year later the King of England declared that a two-minute moment of silence at 11 am was to be endorsed. The United States decided to adopt the two-minute moment of silence as well.
Some of the reasons this was such a moment to be remembered because the War had destroyed empires as we knew them to be, borders were changed, weapons were advanced as well as manufacturing of such, and it also brought women into places of work never dreamed of.
Today we celebrate November 11 as a day to give our appreciation and gratitude by parades for example, The New York City Veterans Day Parade. It was first held in 1919. It is both the largest and longest Veterans Day parade in this country. Ceremonies such as the National Veterans Day Ceremony which on every November 11 at 11 a.m. guards lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and veterans organizations hold a parade of colors.
The ceremony is free and open to the public as well and occurs along Fifth Avenue. Other parts of the world such as the UK and Canada honor their military personnel and call it Remembrance Day.
Veterans Day without an apostrophe is special because it is the day we honor all that serve currently and those that served ever. It does not belong to any one person or group so that all can be honored. At first it was called Armistice Day since it was the day cease fire had occurred in 1918. In 1954, it was legislated to change the name to Veterans Day so all could be celebrated especially after WWII and the Korean War.
It has been a long road to keep Veterans Day as November 11 because in 1968 it was moved to the fourth Monday of October because an Act made certain holidays celebrated on Mondays to give federal employees a three-day weekend. However, people continued celebrating November 11 on November 11. In 1975, a law was put into place that Veterans Day was to be observed on November 11. Finally, in 2001, November 11-17 was designated as National Veterans Awareness Week which calls for educational efforts in schools to speak about the contributions and sacrifices of veterans. Since 2001 an Act was passed in 2016 to have a moment of silence of two minutes each Veterans Day at 2:11 pm EST.
With this all said the Alouette Beach Resort recognizes and honors the valor and steadfast duty of our country’s warriors and also the important support of their family members. This month we recognize our veterans and those who support them with a special offer to get away and enjoy the beauty of the Atlantic and the joy that is Maine all year long. As a way of saying thank you, please visit our website for the special we are offering and again thank you to all who have served.
