With two national holidays honoring those who served in American conflicts, people come to realize that war is war and not simply...

Patriot Games

Published 11/6/97

With the extended period of peace America is having, it's difficult for young citizens who have never experienced going through a war to fully appreciate the contributions America's veterans gave for this country. This is why Memorial Day, held on the fourth Monday in May, and Veterans' Day, held on the second week in November, help pay tribute to veterans living and dead.

Veterans' Day was originally called Armistice Day due to the signing of the Armistice in the Forest of Campiegne in 1918 between the allied forces and the Germans. This meeting signified the end of World War I on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. The next year, President Woodrow Wilson declared Armistice Day a legal holiday in order to remember the sacrifices made by all men and women during World War I.

In 1938, Congress passed a bill acknowledging Armistice Day as a federal public holiday on every Nov. 11, but after World War II ended, some people felt Armistice Day was starting to lose meaning because it honored only those involved in the World War I. So in an effort to bolster the relevance of the holiday, Armistice Day was held in remembrance of all the veterans who fought in wars dating back as far as the Civil War.

The United States wasn't the only country to recognize Nov. 11 as a day of peace and prosperity. After World War I, France held an identical holiday for its veterans as did Great Britain and Canada.

After World War II, Great Britain named the last Sunday closest to Nov. 11 as Remembrance Sunday and Canada calls every Nov. 11 Remembrance Day. In fact, according to a news release by the city of Vancouver, it plans annual festivals commemorating its veterans, which include a 21 Gun Salute and a fly-past replica Spitfire aircraft, which was used by Great Britain in World War II.

Back on the home front, the face-lift from Armistice to Veterans' Day began in 1953 when the residents in Emporia, a small town in Kansas, called the holiday Veteran's Day in tribute to residential veterans. Congress soon caught on to the city's trend, and in 1954 Congress renamed Armistice Day to Veterans' Day in order "to honor veterans on the 11th day of November of each year."

In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared the second Monday in November a federal public holiday with many Americans traditionally spending a moment of silence at 11 a.m. to remember the men and women who fought for peace.

A major ceremony is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, the largest national cemetery in America that not only buries members of the Armed Forces but also contains deceased astronauts, explorers and other distinguished Americans.

While Veterans' Day honors both the survivors and casualties of war, Memorial Day honors those who gave their lives in past wars fought by the United States.

Originally called Decoration Day, it began on May 30, 1868, from the order of General John Alexander Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic Organization of United Army. Decoration Day was used "for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion."

In 1882, the name was changed to Memorial Day and also honored soldiers who had died in previous wars. In addition, in the northern states it was designated as a federal public holiday while southern states chose to recognize their deceased on different days, which they called Confederate Memorial Day. While formally a legal holiday in many southern states, it is still observed on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama, on the last Monday in April in Mississippi and on April 26 in both Florida and Louisiana.

Once World War I was over, Memorial Day was also called Poppy Day in some areas of the country. After a battle in a field of poppies called Flanders Field located in Belgium, the bright red wildflowers soon became a symbol of World War I.

The remembrance of Flanders Field is evident among Veterans. Support groups like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, help raise funds for charity by selling paper poppies made by disabled veterans.

May 30 was selected as the national holiday of observance so northern states with colder climates could place flowers on their decorative graves. The May 30 observance stayed consistent until 1971 when most states switched to a newly established schedule of holiday observances.

Memorial Day's observance is officially recognized nationally by placing a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Another well-known services is held at Gettysburg National Military Park.

In commemoration of Veterans everywhere, Pittsburgh's annual Veterans' Day Parade will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Parade will travel from the Civic Arena down to Centre Avenue, continuing onto Sixth Avenue, veering on Grant Street, up the Boulevard of the Allies and finishing at the State Office Building.

Although Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, located on 4141 Fifth Ave. in Oakland, is dedicated to the veterans of all wars past and present, a spokesperson said nothing special was planned for this year's Veterans' Day.

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