United Alliance Services takes pride in honoring all veterans. This year Veteran’s Day falls on November 11th which was the date in 1919 that President Wilson proclaimed as the first commemoration of Armistice Day thus celebrating the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. Armistice Day was a day to reflect with pride the heroism of the soldiers who died serving our country for our freedom and the peace and justice that followed.
That date remained as the official day dedicated to the cause of world peace after World War I, the hostility and aggression in Korea, and World War II. What began in 1919 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day did not make it to law until 1954 when an Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code. Sec 87a) was approved and November 11th became the official day to honor American veterans of all wars.
About 14 years later, in 1968, a law was signed that allowed certain holidays, including Veteran’s Day, to be observed on Mondays with the intention of offering federal employees long weekends to encourage travel and commerce. Not all states agreed with this new idea and continued to celebrate on the original dates. You may remember back in 1971 when the first Veteran’s Day was observed on Monday October 25th; it just didn’t seem right and people were confused.
Fortunately in 1975, President Gerald Ford returned the annual observance of Veteran’s Day back to its original date of November 11th which preserves history and keeps all Americans focused on the importance of honoring veterans for their love of our country, their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good and for patriotism.
This year as we observe Veteran’s Day and pay tribute to those who served our country on our behalf let’s consider what it is to be a patriot. When surveyed, about 95% of Americans say they are patriotic, 72% say they are extremely patriotic. Yet patriotism is very complex. Generally it means a love of one’s country. Whatever your definition is of patriotism, I think we can all agree that honoring Veteran’s for preserving our freedom is a good place to start.
We want to send out a thank you to all veterans. We appreciate your service. We honor your dedication. We have you in our prayers. Many of the UASC team are veterans and we look to them as a reminder that we are here because of them and we move forward because of them. Thank you for your service!
United Alliance Services Vice President of Technical Services, Marc Bianco, serves as a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Marc’s dedication to service is evident in his day-to-day practices and we are grateful for his undivided attention, loyalty and commitment to a better life for all.