VICTOR JOECKS: What makes Veterans Day worth celebrating

You can’t separate the courage and valor of America’s veterans from their purpose.

Wednesday is Veterans Day. The date reflects the end of the fighting in World War I. The armistice took effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. See if you can spot the third “11” in that agreement.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as “Armistice Day.” He said the day “will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.”

In 1926, Congress passed a concurrent resolution requesting that the president continue to mark the day.

“It is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations,” the resolution stated. Further, it invited “the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches.”

Remember words such as this the next time someone downplays the Christian roots of America’s greatness.

World War I was supposed to be “the war to end all wars.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t. World War II started less than 21 years later. In 1954, Congress changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day. It officially became a day to honor all American veterans. It is different from Memorial Day, which remembers those who’ve died serving their country.

Veterans have fought in many wars since World War II. Around 6.8 million Americans served during the Korean War. More than 8.7 million served during the Vietnam War, with more than 2.7 million who fought in Vietnam.

Then there was the Persian Gulf War. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States launched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In February, the United States attacked Iran, although it’s unclear if history will remember it as a war or conflict.

In his 1954 proclamation, President Dwight D. Eisenhower urged Americans to use Veterans Day to “solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air and on foreign shores.”

There’s broad agreement on that part. The vast majority of Americans can and do appreciate what veterans — and their families — have sacrificed. But that wasn’t the end of his sentence.

Eisenhower urged Americans to remember that veterans sacrificed for a specific reason: “to preserve our heritage of freedom.”

It wasn’t just Eisenhower. In his 1978 Veterans Day speech, President Jimmy Carter praised the “quiet courage by ordinary people whose reward is that their nation and their freedoms remain secure for future generations.”

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan spoke of those who died for our country having “the certainty that what they died for was worthy of their sacrifice.”

In contrast, the implicit message of those who denigrate America and her flag is that veterans served, bled and, in some cases, died in vain.

What makes Veterans Day worth celebrating isn’t just the heroics of those who served but the noble country and ideals they fought to preserve.

Victor Joecks’ column appears in the Opinion section each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at [email protected] or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.