|
Hawaii State Holidays
|
 Veteran's Day, which is celebrated on November 11th, was proclaimed by President Eisenhower on June 1, 1954 as a day to honor all the brave men who fought for our country. From 1918 until 1954, this day was observed as Armistice Day in celebration of the armistice, or cease-fire agreement, that ended World War I. But because we have had the destruction and sorrow of war since then, it seemed more suitable to change the holiday to a day in honor of American veterans of all wars. Today it is the custom to observe two minutes of silence at the hour when the fighting stopped in World War I. There are memorial services for the men who were killed in the wars in which the United States has fought. A very solemn ceremony takes place at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where the president and others lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. This tomb first came to be in 1921, when an unidentified soldier was chosen to represent all of those who had died in World War I. Two other unknown soldiers, from World War II and the Korean War, are buried at the head of that tomb. |
[Return To Main Page]
