On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, a temporary cessation of hostilities was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War.
November 11 was originally named Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to honor the veterans of “the Great War” (WWI). Wilson proclaimed the day with the following words, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice 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, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
The day was to be observed with parades, public meetings, and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
In 1921 Congress passed legislation to declare November 11 a legal Federal holiday. To commemorate the holiday an unidentified American soldier killed in the war was buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
The day became a federal holiday in 1938 and in 1954, the name was changed from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day.
In 1968 the holiday was designated to take place on the fourth Monday in October beginning in 1971. The change of date caused a lot of confusion between the states. Some states continued to celebrate in November while others switched the holiday into October. In 1975, after it became evident that the actual date of Veterans Day carried historical and patriotic significance to many Americans, President Gerald R. Ford signed a new law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11th. The change was to take place beginning in 1978 and was dedicated to American veterans of all wars.
So what is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day? According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans–living or dead–but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
The NFL, individual teams, and individual players are huge supporters of the US Military in many ways. Their support takes place both at home and abroad. Players and coaches travel overseas to salute the troops, as well as providing state side team recognition of our servicemen and women through the Salute to Service campaign as well as other outreach and fundraising efforts.
In 2011, USAA became the first Official Military Appreciation Sponsor of a professional sports league when the leading insurance provider for the military teamed up with the world’s foremost professional sports property, the NFL. Together, the two sought to elevate military appreciation across the league among players, teams, and fans by launching NFL Salute to Service. NFL Salute to Service occurs around Veterans Day weekend in November, and includes each NFL team hosting a designated Salute to Service home game at which the team honors and appreciates military in their own unique way.
This year, when all 32 teams take the field during the Salute to Service campaign, branches of the U.S. military will be represented on their helmets. Teams will wear helmet decals honoring military branches with their insignia (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy), and the stories of connection between clubs and local units will be highlighted throughout the Salute to Service campaign in broadcast and online. The games will also feature special camo-ribbon branding and team-specific logos, sideline and coaches’ gear, and uniform elements. Game used items will be collected following Salute to Service games and auctioned on NFL Auction, with 100 percent of net proceeds donated to the league’s three core military non profit partners.
USAA will work with several teams during Veterans Day weekend to honor the men and women who have served and are serving in the U.S. military. Fans in select stadiums will participate in in-stadium card stunts to thank the military for their service. In addition, USAA and the NFL will hand out team-branded wristbands to fans at select games on Nov. 18.
Watch how they put together a Veterans Day Card Stunt
This year in celebration of Veterans Day, USAA also enlists the help of NFL fans in stadiums across the nation to send a message of thanks to our nation’s military and veterans.
All fans will be able to visit www.usaa.com/nfl to download photos to share with and thank veterans and service members. In addition, USAA and the NFL encourage fans to visit www.millionfansalute.com to create a digital salute honoring past and present members of the U.S. military on behalf of their favorite NFL team through Nov. 26, 2012. NFL cities with the most salutes will earn rewards for their local military community’s morale, sports and recreation initiatives from USAA.
For a full schedule of NFL Salute to Service events, team by team, click HERE
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