What does Veterans Day honor?

Veterans Day honors all U.S. military veterans, living and dead, who have served in any branch of the United States armed forces in any era, in war or in peace. The scope is intentionally broad: it covers approximately 17 million living veterans plus all who served in the past, across all six branches of the armed services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard) and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, and the National Guard and Reserves when called to active service.

The holiday's origins trace back to Armistice Day, established to mark the end of fighting in World War I at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation in 1919, and Congress made November 11 a federal holiday in 1938. After World War II and the Korean War produced new generations of veterans, Congress on June 1, 1954 (Public Law 83-380) expanded the scope of the holiday and changed its name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. The change was advocated by Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, who organized a National Veterans Day observance in 1947 and led the effort to broaden the federal holiday. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a five-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, signed the bill changing the name.

Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, which honors those who died in military service, and from Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May), which honors those currently in uniform. Customary observances include the laying of a presidential wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery at 11 a.m., parades in cities and towns across the country (the New York City Veterans Day Parade, organized by the United War Veterans Council, is the largest), free or discounted meals offered to veterans at many restaurants, special ceremonies at VA medical centers and military bases, and the flying of the U.S. flag at full staff.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, the second-largest federal department by employment, oversees programs for veterans including health care, education benefits (including the GI Bill), home loans, disability compensation, and burial in national cemeteries. About 9 percent of the U.S. adult population are veterans.