AFSCME
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
Among the hundreds of veterans who are OAPSE members are (left to right above) Danny Oxley, U.S. Air Force (1984-1988), bus driver and president of Local 105 at Marysville Exempted Village Schools; Roy Klintworth, U.S. Army Desert Storm and Shield (1990-1994) and a bus mechanic/bus coordinator at Fort Frye Local Schools, Local 447; Kelly Mobley, U.S. Air Force (1982-2005), Security Forces Training Instructor and an OAPSE field representative; and Charles Meade, a school bus driver and sub-mechanic at Olentangy Local Schools, a member of Local 322, and an Army Sgt. 82nd Airborne 1972-75, with his son, Army Sgt. Samuel C. Meade (active duty).
In Europe, Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.
The military men and women who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life; they are parents, children, grandparents, friends, neighbors and coworkers, and are an important part of their communities. Here are some facts about the veteran population of the United States:
Source: The History Channel