
“Land of the free, and the home of the brave.” These words close our National Anthem, the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and are words by which Americans live. Our country has been the land of the free since 1776, but that is only because of the brave—veterans.
Veterans are the brave men and women who have served our country in the U.S. military. They can be from any branch, any time period, and in any type of health (wounded, unwounded, alive, deceased).
Veterans Day is held every year on November 11th, and originated in 1919 on the first anniversary of the 1918 armistice that ended World War I (also known as Armistice Day). Veterans Day was commemorated in 1921 with the burial of an unknown soldier from World War I at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. This tomb is now known as the Tomb of the Unknowns, and every year ceremonies are held there, and floral tributes are placed on the graves of service men and women all over the country.
On Veterans Day, we thank and honor the men and women of the U.S. military who have made sacrifices for our freedom. It is a day of remembrance, where all around the country ceremonies are held, songs performed, and “Taps” can be heard ringing throughout the whole nation.
To learn more about Veterans Day and veterans, check out these sources:
"Veterans Day." Encyclopædia Britannica (2014): Research Starters. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Video, TIME. "WATCH: 5 Facts About Veterans Day." Time.Com (2013): 1. Business Source Premier. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
"Veterans Day." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2014): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Mettler, Suzanne, and Stephen R. Ortiz. Veterans' Policies, Veterans' Politics : New Perspectives On Veterans In The Modern United States. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 10 Nov. 2014.