NORTH WILDWOOD – Celebrations were being held throughout the county on Thur., Nov. 11 in honor of the nation’s veterans.
In this city, there were two Veterans Day ceremonies – one at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse on Central Avenue and another at the Veteran’s Monument off New Jersey Avenue. In Wildwood, another ceremony was held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
Veterans Day is a U.S. holiday honoring those who served in the military. Originally called Armistice Day, it was the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)
President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of 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 United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that the President (Calvin Coolidge) issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies.
Then in 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Alfred King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. Congress amended its act on June 1, 1954, replacing “Armistice” with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.
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