BEDFORD – Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served and put their lives on the line for our freedom. And while this holiday comes around once a year, each day is a reminder of the sacrifices they made for us to stand united in respect for our veterans.
This holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country’s service and was originally called Armistice Day. It fell on Nov. 11 because that is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. However, in 1954, the holiday was changed to “Veterans Day” in order to account for all veterans of all wars.
The World War I armistice was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. There are approximately 19.5 million veterans in the United States. There are around 9 million veterans over the age of 65. Approximately 2 million veterans are women.
