The artwork is by Larry Bailey, Master of the St George Grange.
“Thank you for your sacrifice, your bravery, and the example you set. We are forever thankful for you.”
Grangers in Maine
World War I, known at the time as “The Great War,” officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles in France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice – or temporary cessation of hostilities – between Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926; but it wasn’t until May 1938 when an official act was passed establishing every Nov. 11 “Armistice Day” to honor veterans of World War I. A law in 1954 officially changed it to Veterans Day.
In 1968, the holiday was changed to the last Monday in October; but President Gerald Ford signed legislation that reestablished Veterans Day to Nov. 11 after backlash from the public. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to Nov. 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date but also helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
The above history is reprinted with permission from an enewsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin, District 4.