Origins of Veterans

Taken from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) website:

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Wash ington, became the focal point of reverence for America's veterans. Similar ceremo nies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation's highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as “Armistice Day”.

Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holidiay 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was "the War to end all Wars," November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died in service, more than 292,000 in battle.

Armistice Day Changed To Honor All Veterans

Realizing that peace was equally preserved by veterans of WW II and Korea, Congress was requested to make this day an occasion to honor those who have served America in all wars. In 1954 President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day.

On Memorial Day 1958, two more unidentified American war dead were brought from overseas and interred in the plaza beside the unknown soldier of World War I. One was killed in World War II, the other in the Korean War. In 1973, a law passed provid ing interment of an unknown American from the Vietnam War, but none was found for several years. In 1984, an unknown serviceman from that conflict was placed alongside the others. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, The 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.

A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.

National Ceremonies Held at Arlington

The focal point for official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day continues to be the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes "Present Arms" at the tomb. The nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath. The bugler plays "taps." The rest of the cere mony takes place in the amphitheater.

Every year the President of the United States urges All Americans to honor the commitment of our Veterans through appropriate public ceremonies.

Permission is given to reprint or republish this article.

(Excerpted from the website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.)

VA 1-Stop Service Inquiry Page:

What are my employment rights as a veteran? Do I get preference for Federal jobs?

Since the time of the Civil War, veterans of the Armed forces have been given some degree of preference in appointments to Federal jobs. Recognizing that sacri fices are made by those serving in the Armed Forces, Congress enacted laws to prevent veterans seeking Federal employment from being penalized because of the time spent in the military service. The Department of Labor's Office of the Assis tant Secretary for Policy (OASP) and Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) developed an “expert system” to help veterans receive the preferences to which they are entitled.

Veterans comprise a big chunk of new federal hires. Of the 43,014 new, fulltime permanent federal employees hired in fiscal 1997, about a third were military veterans, according to the Office of Personnel Management. The Federal govern ment employs more than twice the percentage of veterans than the available civil ian labor force; almost three times the percentage of Vietnam-era veterans; five times the percentage of disabled veterans and more than five times the percentage of 30 percent or more disabled veterans. That's from the Office of Personnel Man agement's Report to Congress on Veterans' Employment and demonstrates, Department of Labor officials say, the high priority placed on hiring veterans in Federal government. The department's statistics show that veterans represented 23 percent of all new hires into full-time permanent positions in 1992 and 31 percent in 1997. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, recently signed into law, strengthens and expands veterans' preference in federal hiring. The new law and information on veterans' preference can be found on the Office of Person nel Management website, www.opm.gov.