On November 11, 1919, one year after fighting had officially ended in what at the time was known as the Great War, President Woodrow Wilson initiated the first Armistice Day by proclaiming that, “[t]o us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

Seven years later, Congress passed a joint resolution making Armistice Day a national holiday, and in 1938 November 11 became a legal holiday, intended primarily to honor those who fought in “the war to end war.”

Then on June 1, 1954, with World War II and Korea fresh on the minds of Americans, Congress amended the 1938 act by renaming Armistice Day as Veterans Day, a day to honor those who fought in all of America’s wars. In October of that year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day proclamation.

“I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain. I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day…”

In Sullivan County, Armistice Day for many years was typically marked with services from Bloomingburg to Roscoe, each often attended by hundreds of citizens. After World War II, however, there was a notable complacency about the holiday, even among veterans themselves.

In fact, in its November 13, 1952 edition, the Liberty Register newspaper reported that “the traditional parade here, an institution since shortly after the end of World War I, was not held this year because of lack of enthusiasm for it on the part of veterans organizations.”

So here, as in many parts of the country, the transition from Armistice Day to Veterans Day meant more than just a name change, it gave the holiday an entirely new meaning.

The first Veterans Day commemoration in Sullivan County on November 11, 1954, took place at the Liberty High School, where District Attorney Benjamin Newberg was the keynote speaker. A parade followed.

“Veterans Day, the new name for Armistice Day, observed today for the first time in Sullivan County as in the rest of the nation, was hailed by District Attorney Benjamin Newberg, guest speaker at veterans sponsored ceremonies here today,” the Register reported in a front page story in its November 11, 1954 edition. “Mr. Newberg said the new name of the day was fitting because the old name in part had lost its original significance. He also said that honor to veterans, living and dead, lies in the hearts of people rather than in spoken words.”

“The parade, led by Lt Louis Soracco of Liberty police, included a color guard, Veterans, Liberty High School Band, American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps, Boy and Girl Scouts and Brownies. Commander Robert Nolan at the American Legion was in charge.”

In that same edition, the Liberty Register also ran an editorial commending the change from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, and calling for yet another change: combining Memorial Day and Veterans Day into one single holiday. Memorial Day, the paper pointed out, was initially intended to honor those killed during the Civil War and had largely “lost some of its original meaning.” And, the editorial added, it was a divisive holiday in that it was celebrated only in the North.

“Veterans Day is non-sectional, and can wholly unite all parts of the United States,” the editorial explained. “On one day instead of two, perhaps the nation could  better consecrate itself to the task of maintaining the freedoms and the way of life which we enjoy today because millions of Veterans, living and dead, fought or laid down their lives for them.”

Thankfully, the call to combine the two holidays into one never gained much traction, and today they serve very different functions, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.”

We would all do well to reflect on that this November 11.

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian and a founder and president of The Delaware Company. Email him at jconway52@hotmail.com.