One holiday that may not seem important to you is probably much more important than you know. We don’t think about it very much, but people in the United States have more rights and freedoms than in any other country. Our Constitution makes sure of that. In order to protect us, and the constitution, the Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army. That was in 1775 and since then, the armed forces have expanded to now include the Army, Navy, Marines Airforce and the Coast Guard. People who have served in any of those branches of the military are called Veterans. All across the United States, Veterans Day is celebrated to honor the people who have served in the armed forces.

Veterans Day began after the end of World War I. Originally, the holiday was called Armistice Day and it was created to honor the Veterans that had served during that war. The Armistice was the name of the truce that was signed to end the war. The president of the United States at the time, Woodrow Wilson, declared that November 11th would be a holiday to celebrate the Veterans. That day was chosen for the date and timey that the actual truce would take affect — the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The celebration included parades, gatherings and a moment of silence.

Armistice Day did not become a national legal holiday in there United States until 1938. For a holiday to become a legal holiday it must pass through congress as a bill and then be signed into law by the president of the United States. Armistice Day was celebrated until 1954. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped get the name changed to Veterans Day. By that time, the United States had been through WWII and the Korean conflict. A congressman named Edward H. Rees thought we should celebrate all Veterans from all the wars that we had participated in. Congress thought that was a good idea, and so did the President.

One place that holds a very large and historic celebration of Veterans Day is Arlington National Cemetery. On November 11th, 1921, an unknown American soldier from WWI was brought back to the United States. He was buried at the national cemetery. His grave is a memorial for every person who has served in the armed forces. This Veterans Day, take the time to talk to someone who served in the armed forces and thank them for the freedoms they fought for.