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Veterans Day is a federal holiday honoring people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is recognized annually on November 11.
This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to celebrating Veterans Day. It contains a brief history, selected CRS reports, sample speeches and recognitions, presidential proclamations, and statistical data. It also contains links to additional web resources from authoritative sources.
Veterans Day has its roots in Armistice Day. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11, 1919, the first Armistice Day, in recognition of the anniversary of the armistice that marked the end of the most destructive fighting during World War I.
For additional history, refer to the Department of Veterans Affairs' "History of Veterans Day" page.
On June 1, 1954, Congress passed Public Law 380, which designates November 11 as Veterans Day, a day to honor all American veterans.
The Congressional Research Service has prepared numerous reports that relate to American veterans. Some of these include the following:
CRS Report R42324, Who Is a "Veteran"?—Basic Eligibility for Veterans' Benefits, by [author name scrubbed].
CRS Report R42790, Employment for Veterans: Trends and Programs, coordinated by [author name scrubbed].
CRS In Focus IF10490, Veterans' Employment, coordinated by Benjamin Collins.CRS Report R42755, The Post-9/11 Veterans' Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill): A Primer, by [author name scrubbed]Scott D. Szymendera.
CRS Report R42747, Health Care for Veterans: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, by [author name scrubbed].
CRS Report RL34024Sidath Viranga Panangala and Jared S. Sussman.
CRS In Focus IF10167, Veterans and Homelessness, by [author name scrubbed].
Libby Perl.CRS Report R44625R45047, Department of Veterans Affairs FY2017FY2018 Appropriations, by [author name scrubbed]Sidath Viranga Panangala.
Elected officials often deliver speeches, make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The following are some recent examples:
President Barack Obama, remarks by the President at Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery (November 11, 2016). [White House Website]
Representative Glenn Thompson, "Veterans Day 2016," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 162, no. 162 (November 14, 2016), p. 6136.
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, "Honoring our Veterans on Veterans Day," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 162, no. 162 (November 14, 2016), p. H6137.
President Barack Obama, remarks by the President at Veterans Day Commemoration CeremonyVice President Michael Pence, remarks by the Vice President to U.S. Service Members on Veterans Day, Anchorage, Alaska (November 11, 2018). [White House website]
Vice President Michael Pence, remarks by the Vice President at the National Veterans Day Observance, Arlington National Cemetery (November 11, 20152017). [White House). [White House Website]
President Barack Obama, "This Veterans' Day, Let's Honor Our Veterans," Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (November 8, 2014). [Click here for White House video.]
Representative Joyce Beatty, "In Honor of ]
Representative James R. Langevin, "Veterans Day," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 160163, no. 137182 (November 12, 2014), p. H79198, 2017), pp. H8643-H8644.
Representative Steven PalazzoJeff Fortenberry, "Veterans Day," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 160163, no. 137182 (November 12, 2014), p. H7903-H7904.
Senator Dick Durbin8, 2017), pp. H8657-H8659.
Representative Martha Roby, "Veterans Day," remarks in the SenateHouse of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 159163, no. 160181 (November 12, 2013), p. S7950. Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Thad Cochran, "Veterans Day," remarks in the Senate7, 2017), pp.H8530-H8531.
Representative Glenn Thompson, "Veterans Day 2016," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 159162, no. 158162 (November 7, 2013), p. S7920-S792314, 2016), p. H6136.
Representative Paul Cook, "Remembering Our Nation's VeteransSheila Jackson Lee, "Honoring our Veterans on Veterans Day," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, vol. 159162, no. 153 (October 30, 2013), p. H6907162 (November 14, 2016), p. H6137.
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call attention to certain issues or events. Some recent Veterans Day proclamations and remarks, from the Compilation of Presidential Documents, include
Presidential Proclamations—Donald H. Trump (2017- ) Presidential Proclamations—Barack Obama (2009-2016) Presidential Proclamations—George W. Bush (2001-2008) Presidential Proclamations—William J. Clinton (1993-2000), from the Compilation of Presidential Documents, include the following:
Proclamation—November 7, 2017—Veterans Day, 2017
Proclamation—November 1, 2017—National Veterans and Military Families Month, November 2017
Proclamation 9539—Veterans Day, 2016
Proclamation 9364—Veterans Day, 2015
Proclamation 9208—Veterans Day, 2014
Proclamation 9055—Veterans Day, 2013
Proclamation 8902—Veterans Day, 2012
Presidential proclamations and remarks from 1993 to the present are available through the Federal Digital System (FDsys) on thegovinfo service on the U.S. Government Publishing Office website. Earlier remarks (including selectedsome audio and video clips) are available through The American Presidency ProgramProject, established by the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Several federal agencies maintain statistics on American veterans. Some useful sources of data and information on veterans include
Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics.
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features: Veterans Day 2017: Nov. 11
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features: Veterans Day 2016: Nov. 11
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features: Veterans Day 2015: Nov. 11
U.S. Census Bureau, other Veterans resources for data and information:
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features: Veterans Day 20142018: Nov. 11
U.S. Census Bureau, Infographic—World War II: 70 Years On.
U.S. Census Bureau, Infographic—Where Do Veterans Get Health Insurance Coverage?
U.S. Census Bureau, Infographic—How Do We Know? A Snapshot of Our Nation's Veterans.
Library of Congress, Veterans History Project
Library of Congress, "Veterans Day," American Memory Project, Today in History feature
The National Archives, Veterans' Service Records
Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day-November 11
U.S. Army Center of Military History, Remembering Their Selfless Service to Our Country: Veterans Day
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Veterans Day is always recognized on November 11. However, according to 5 U.S.C. 6103, when November 11 falls on a Saturday, Friday November 10 is observed as the holiday for most of the federal government. When November 11 falls on a Sunday, the federal government holiday is observed on Monday November 12. |