History of Veteran's Day

Monday, November 11, 2013 is Veterans Day.

 A veteran is a man or woman who worked in the military. United States veterans are honored on Veterans Day each year on November 11th with national and local parades and other programs to recognize their contributions.

 The ending of World War I fighting was celebrated at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day originally became known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was originally dedicated to the cause of world peace. An armistice is an official agreement to stop fighting. After World War II and the Korean War, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed in 1954 proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.

 In 1968, Veterans Day was moved to the last Monday in October, basically to allow 3 day weekends for federal employees. Many people did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11th. In 1975, President Ford signed a law returning the official celebration of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11th beginning in 1978.

 In August, 2001, US Senate Resolution 143 designated the week of November 11th-17th as “National Veterans Awareness Week”. The resolution is directed toward educating students about the sacrifices and contributions of our veterans.
 Many people still confuse Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day honors all military men and women who served our country. The primary purpose of Veterans Day is mainly to thank living veterans for their service to our country. Those killed in wars are honored specially on Memorial Day in May.

 Governmental offices usually close on Veterans Day. State and local governments make the decision to close offices and schools, or not. Banks and other businesses may close. Retail stores are usually open.

 Veterans Day often feels like a sad holiday, but there are many surviving veterans to salute. This is their special day. They should be honored and thanked for the brave service they gave and for being willing to put their lives on the line for the well being of all the citizens of the United States of America!

Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day is Monday, May 27th this year. This is actually the day that is considered to mark the beginning of the summer months. However, it is very important to always remember the real meaning of Memorial Day. Initially called Decoration Day, the holiday was started to pay tribute to the men who were lost throughout the Civil war.

Memorial Day was previously held on May 30th, regardless of the actual day of the week. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill designed to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. Memorial Day is currently celebrated every year on the last Monday in May and commemorates all men and women, who have died in military service for the United States. Memorial Day is a federal holiday. Non-essential Federal Government offices are closed on Memorial Day, as are government businesses, schools, and other related organizations. Consumer transit systems also do not usually run on their regular schedules.

Numerous cemeteries throughout the United States participate in a national remembrance of our soldiers. Many other veterans’ organizations will be holding parades and other tributes. Arlington National Cemetery has a ceremony each year in which a small American flag is placed on every grave. Traditionally, this is a day that the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. More than 5,000 people usually attend the ceremony annually.

The tradition of the red poppies on Memorial Day was inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields " written in 1915 by John McCrea. Moina Belle Michael (1868-1944) of Georgia, was a volunteer war worker and professor. She made a personal pledge to always wear red silk poppies as an emblem for "keeping the faith" with all who died. She began the campaign to make poppies the universal symbol of tribute and support for veterans. The idea was widely adopted in the United States and spread to more than 50 other countries.

For the fashion conscious, Memorial Day starts the season as acceptable to wear white clothing, and shoes in particular until it ends on Labor Day. However, as time goes on, less people follow this rule and most now wear white clothing as they wish throughout the year.

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and retailers are gearing up to announce their holiday sales. But while many items are reduced for the weekend, only some things are being offered at discounts that count. For ways to Score a Great Deal During Memorial Day Sales, check out this article at DailyFinance. Here's how to get the best deal for your dollar. For instance, if you're in the market for electronics, this is not the best time to buy. They'll be on sale, but prices won't be as low as they are during Thanksgiving and Christmas. You're better off waiting until Black Friday to make these kinds of purchases.

Memorial Day weekend is a great time to focus on appliances and furniture. According to Dealspl.us, Sears discounted their Kenmore appliances by 30 percent, and offered other brands at 15 percent off retail price. Meanwhile, Kmart offered 50 percent off of their furniture, and Home Depot reportedly had patio accessories on sale for 50 percent off.

Finally, timing is everything. ShopItToMe.com says that there are two to three times more sales to be found on the Friday before Memorial Day, while they tend to taper off on Sunday and Monday. For the best selection online, start searching for sales on Wednesday. Convenient sites like Memorialdaysales.net will help you make sense of it all, and tell you who's selling what, when and where. Happy shopping!

According to a recent Forbes article, the 5 Ways to get ready for a Memorial day Road Trip are to:

1) Plot your route. Lots of people dream about getting in the car and just driving away. But preparation will help you maximize fun and minimize hassles. A key part of planning your road trip is deciding just how much you want to drive each day. Are you a straight-through kind of driver, or do you like to pull off when a brown historic attraction sign catches your eye? If you’ll have company on the trip, sit down well in advance and iron out the kinks in your driving styles. Nothing is worse than fighting or sulking when one person wants to stop and the other doesn’t.

2) Who is in the car? Summer is a time when new parents take babies to visit relatives. It’s also an ideal opportunity for seniors to caravan someplace. For those in between, long car trips can be pretty dull unless there’s something to keep minds occupied. Consider the ages of everyone who’ll be riding along, and prepare accordingly. Remember that while you might have a lot of stamina, others need frequent breaks. Three to four hours is a good rule of thumb for bathroom and leg-stretching breaks. You may need to plan on a stop every two hours if there’s a baby on board.

3) Reservations are protection. I rarely hit the road without knowing that I’ll have a place to sleep when I arrive. Some people are more adventurous and don’t like to commit to a destination. But if you’re headed to a particularly popular spot, it pays to book rooms in advance. It’s not a good idea to be tired, hot and wandering through an unfamiliar city. Also, if you book before you leave, print out the confirmations just in case the computer system is down at the hotel. A piece of paper can be more valuable than an email on a computer screen.

4) Your wheels or rental wheels? If you’re planning to drive your own car, make sure it’s in road ready shape. Now’s the time to get that oil change, fill up the washer fluid, and check all five tires (including the spare) for pressure and tread. If you’re leasing a car, you ought to calculate whether your road trip miles can fit comfortably in your annual limit. If not, consider renting wheels for a week or two.

5) On the menu. Culinary tourism is a huge market, and a number of people are heading for destinations like New Orleans, San Francisco and Chicago just to eat. If you have your heart set on a celebrity chef’s restaurant, book a table before you leave. Even lesser known venues get filled up in the summer, and the plea, “we’re from out of town” might not get you very far if everyone else has reserved and you haven’t.

Hug a Vet Today!

Novemeber 11, 2012-- Today is Veteran's Day. Show your appreciation to all our great American Veterans! Give a hero a hug!

Veteran's Day Story

A veteran is a man or woman who worked in the American military. They are honored on Veterans Day each year on November 11th with national and local meetings, parades, and other programs to recognize their contributions.

World War I was known at the time as "The Great War." The ending of World War I fighting between the Allied Nations and Germany was celebrated at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). November 11, 1918 is also generally known as "The End of the War to End All Wars." The day originally became known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was dedicated to the cause of world peace. An armistice is an official agreement to stop fighting. After World War II and the Korean War, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed in 1954 proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the holiday was moved to the last Monday in October, basically to allow 3 day weekends for federal employees. Many people did not agree with this decision due to the historic and patriotic significance of the day and continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11th. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law returning the official celebration to its original date of November 11th beginning in 1978.

In August, 2001, US Senate Resolution 143 designated the week of November 11th-17th as "National Veterans Awareness Week". The resolution is directed toward educating students about the sacrifices and contributions of our military men and women.

Many people still confuse Veterans Day and Memorial Day. This special day honors all military men and women who served our country. The primary purpose of the holiday is mainly to thank them for their service to our country. Those killed in wars are honored specially on Memorial Day in May.

Governmental offices usually close on the holiday. State and local governments make the decision to close offices and schools, or not. Banks and other businesses may close. Retail stores are usually open.

It often feels like a sad holiday, but there are many surviving veterans to salute. This is their very special day. They should be honored and thanked for their love of country, the brave service they gave, and for being willing to put their lives on the line for the well being of all the citizens of the United States of America.

Please check here for more information: http://veteransdayhistory.blogspot.com/.

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Thoughts for Memorial Day, May 30, 2010

Memorial Day is not just any other holiday. It’s a day that we pay tribute to all those people who have served and died for the United States. Below we have collected some quotable quotes and statements from some well-known public figures for us to reminisce.

We hope you can share your views about what you feel on Memorial Day 2010. Do you have a loved one you want to pay tribute for? Bump us a comment or two. After all, Memorial Day is a day to be proud that we’re Americans and that we have so many people who were willing to serve and die for our country.

Ah! never shall the land forget
How gushed the life-blood of her brave -
~William Cullen Bryant

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

Shall tell – when cold neglect is dead -
“These for their country fought and bled.”
~Philip Freneau

These heroes are dead. They died for liberty – they died for us. They are at rest. They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars – they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead.
~Robert G. Ingersoll

All we have of freedom, all we use or know -
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.
~Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue, 1899

Who kept the faith and fought the fight;
The glory theirs, the duty ours.
~Wallace Bruce

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