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Veterans Day is an opportunity to publicly
commemorate the contributions of living veterans. Armistice Day officially
received its name in America in 1926 through a congressional resolution. It
became a national holiday 12 years later by similar congressional action.
If World War I had been "the war to end all wars," November 11 might be
still called Armistice Day. Realizing that peace was equally preserved by
veterans of World War II and Korea, Congress decided to make the day an
occasion to honor all those who have served America. In 1954 President
Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day.
(Historically, the first Veterans Day parade was held in 1953 in Emporia,
Kansas.)
A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to
the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that
November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans.
Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.
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