Veterans Day is a tribute to American veterans—a special day to remember and to honor the service and sacrifice of all veterans—including 1,268 living in Jefferson County and 85,350 in Montana, whose number of veterans per population ranks third among the 50 states.
There are not enough ways to say thank you to each and every veteran for their service and sacrifices, and for those of their families. But Veterans Day is one important marker of our gratitude. It originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Nov. 11 became a national holiday in 1938 and President Dwight Eisenhower officially changed the name to Veterans Day in 1954. Most traditional services and parades begin at 11 a.m. because the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 was the moment of the World War I ceasefire on the Western Front of Europe.
Veterans Day 2021 is unique because it marks the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The tomb is considered the most hallowed grave at Arlington, America’s most sacred military cemetery, and bears the inscription “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to god.” That ceremony was presided over by President Warren G. Harding; Crow Nation Chief Alek-Chea-Ahoosh (“Plenty Coups”) of Pryor, Montana, representing all American Indians; and other government, military and international dignitaries.
