Veterans Day: History, Meaning and How to Honor a Veteran

By Oscar Chabrat

Cover photograph: Tom Rice, from the Praesidus archive.

What is Veterans Day?

A watch torn from a paratrooper's wrist over Normandy was the starting point for Praesidus. Tom Rice still remembered losing it decades later. His story is one reason Veterans Day matters to us: behind the date are people who can tell us what service was actually like.

Veterans Day, observed on November 11, honors everyone who served in the U.S. armed forces, in wartime or peacetime, with particular emphasis on living veterans. Our veterans discount program is one way we recognize that service. The holiday itself began with the end of the fighting in World War I, before growing to include later generations.

Why is Veterans Day on November 11?

November 11 comes from the armistice between the Allies and Germany that took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. The fighting stopped months before the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919.

The familiar phrase “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” refers to that ceasefire. It explains the date and the use of 11 a.m. in commemorations.

An armistice is an agreement to stop fighting. Armistice Day marked the anniversary of that ceasefire, remembering the service and losses of World War I. President Woodrow Wilson observed the first anniversary in 1919. In 1938, November 11 became a legal holiday, with world peace at the center of its purpose.

That original name explains why the holiday needed to change. By the middle of the century, millions more Americans had served in another world war and in Korea.

From Armistice Day to Veterans Day

Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, brought a proposal for a national Veterans Day to General Dwight Eisenhower in 1946. Birmingham held its celebration in 1947. The Senate later recognized Weeks's role in broadening the occasion beyond World War I.

After World War II and the Korean War, the original emphasis on World War I veterans no longer reflected everyone the country wanted to recognize. In 1954, Congress replaced “Armistice” with “Veterans,” widening the holiday's scope.

The date briefly moved, too. From 1971 through 1977, the federal observance fell on the fourth Monday in October under the Uniform Holiday Bill. Legislation signed in 1975 restored November 11 beginning in 1978. The Department of Veterans Affairs' history traces those changes and explains why the original date endured.

Veterans Day and Memorial Day Have Different Purposes

Veterans Day recognizes service in wartime and peacetime. It honors all who served, with particular emphasis on thanking living veterans. Someone does not need a combat story to deserve that recognition.

Memorial Day is specifically for remembering those who died in military service, particularly in battle or from wounds received in battle.

Is Veterans Day a federal holiday?

Yes. Veterans Day is a federal holiday. In 2026, it falls on Wednesday, November 11. Federal offices generally close, although essential services continue. Banks commonly observe the holiday, and regular postal service generally pauses.

Private employers and schools set their own schedules. A federal holiday does not mean every workplace closes. When November 11 falls on a weekend, the federal employee observance can move to a nearby weekday; the date of Veterans Day remains November 11.

How to Honor a Veteran

There are several ways to take part, from a town ceremony to an afternoon spent sorting family photographs. If you know a veteran, start by asking what they would enjoy doing that day.

Attend a local ceremony

Look for an event organized by your town, a veterans organization, or a nearby memorial. Check the starting time and whether visitors need to register. If you are inviting a veteran, ask whether they would enjoy going and whether transport or seating would make the visit easier.

Pause at 11 a.m.

You can set aside two quiet minutes at 11 a.m. as a personal observance of the armistice. If you are attending a ceremony, follow its program.

Write a personal thank-you

A handwritten note can be brief. Thank the person for their service, then make it personal: mention a conversation you remember or suggest a date to meet. If you are writing as a family, let everyone add their own message.

Make Time to Listen

Ask about a first posting, the people in a photograph, or what a normal working day involved. The answer may be about an engine that was difficult to keep running, a friend who could fix anything, or a place they had never expected to see. Give them time to follow the memory.

Some veterans are happy to talk at length; others prefer a different subject. Ask permission before recording or sharing the conversation.

Preserve a Story With Permission

An old photograph becomes more useful when someone can identify the faces, location and date. Offer to scan family photographs or help label them. Keep the original captions and separate what someone remembers from details that still need checking.

For a more formal oral history, the Library of Congress Veterans History Project provides interview guidance. Its suggested questions are a starting point, not a script. Talk beforehand about what the veteran wants to discuss, and follow the project's participation and release requirements before submitting a recording.

Offer Something Practical

Ask a local veterans organization what would genuinely help. It may need reliable volunteers more than donated goods, or support on an ordinary weekday rather than November 11.

The VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement connects volunteers with local VA facilities. Contact the local office to learn about its needs, orientation and available assignments. Explain when you are available and ask which assignments fit that schedule. If the organization needs regular help, consider a date after November 11 as well.

For a veteran in your own life, the right gesture may be lunch, help with an errand or a phone call you have been meaning to make. Choose a day and put it in the calendar together.

How Praesidus honors veterans

Our first watch grew out of Tom Rice's account of losing his wristwatch on D-Day. Working with him gave us a personal starting point for the A-11 project: the watch he remembered, the jump during which he lost it, and the design we could bring back for people to wear today. The Tom Rice Black Canvas, nicknamed the “Lost Watch of D-Day,” carries that story into an automatic watch.

Vince Speranza's experience at Bastogne inspired a different project. Those conversations help us decide what belongs in a design. For someone drawn to the watches of the period itself, the A-11 Type 44 White offers a closer look at WWII proportions, with a Swiss manual-wind movement and a choice of 32mm or 38mm cases.

Our Official U.S. Army Watch Program follows service today. Interchangeable rank sleeves let the watch change as a soldier advances through their career. Whether you are choosing a watch connected to a family history or marking a promotion, these collections give you different ways to make that choice personal. Veterans can check our discount program for eligibility and verification details before ordering.

Veterans Day FAQ

What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Veterans Day honors everyone who served in the U.S. armed forces, with particular emphasis on living veterans. Memorial Day remembers those who died in military service. Veterans Day falls on November 11; Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May.

Is Veterans Day always on November 11?

Yes. November 11 is the date of Veterans Day each year. When it falls on a weekend, some workplaces observe the holiday on a nearby weekday. That changes the closure schedule, so check an office's hours separately from the date of the holiday.

Why is Veterans Day associated with 11 a.m.?

The World War I armistice between the Allies and Germany took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. That is the origin of the familiar hour and date. Ceremonies may mark that moment, although Veterans Day is a full-day observance and events can take place at other times.

Is Veterans Day a federal holiday?

Yes. Veterans Day is a federal holiday, observed on Wednesday, November 11 in 2026. Federal offices generally close, with essential services continuing. Banks and regular postal services commonly observe it too. Schools and private businesses set their own schedules, so check locally before assuming they are closed.