Armistice Day’s Joy Became a Lasting Veterans Day
News of the World War I armistice reached Philadelphia in the early hours of November 11, 1918. Thousands gathered around Broad Street and South Penn Square, where a 29-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty stood. Businesses stopped as people across the city cheered, sang and celebrated. The gathering was described as the biggest event in Philadelphia’s history at that point.
The celebrations followed a devastating war. World War I caused 53,402 U.S. battle deaths and another 63,114 deaths from accidents and disease. More than 400,000 American personnel died in World War II, and the National Park Service estimates that conflicts since World War I have killed well over 600,000 U.S. soldiers.
The holiday began as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I. On June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a measure that made November 11 a national holiday known as Veterans Day.
The day now honors veterans and those serving in the armed forces. The United States is at war in Iran, and roughly 30,000 World War II veterans are still alive. The 1918 celebrations carried hopes that the war would usher in peace and democracy; the conflicts that followed made those hopes harder to realize. Veterans Day remains a time to remember the joy of the armistice and the lives lost in later wars.
Veterans Day Must Remember the Human Cost of War
Veterans Day should honor those who served without turning the cost of war into a reason to treat war as inevitable. On November 11, 1918, Philadelphians filled the streets to celebrate the World War I armistice. The crowds’ joy was real—but so was the devastation that preceded it.
World War I killed 53,402 U.S. service members in battle and another 63,114 through accidents and disease. More than 400,000 American personnel died in World War II. Since the end of World War I, conflicts have taken well over 600,000 U.S. soldiers’ lives, according to the National Park Service.
Armistice Day became Veterans Day after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation on June 1, 1954, making November 11 a national holiday. The day honors veterans and those currently serving, including as the United States is at war in Iran. Roughly 30,000 World War II veterans are still alive.
The 1918 vision of a war that would end war did not come true. Remembering veterans must include facing that history and the human consequences of repeated conflict—not simply presenting each new war as proof that more sacrifice is unavoidable.
Veterans Day Honors Those Who Defend the Nation
Veterans Day is a reminder that the freedoms Americans enjoy have depended on people willing to defend them. On November 11, 1918, thousands of Philadelphians poured into the streets to celebrate the armistice ending World War I. Their jubilation honored the end of a terrible conflict and those who had fought in it.
The losses were immense: World War I brought 53,402 U.S. battle deaths and 63,114 more deaths from accidents and disease. More than 400,000 American personnel died in World War II. The National Park Service estimates that conflicts since World War I have claimed well over 600,000 U.S. soldiers.
Armistice Day became a national holiday called Veterans Day when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation on June 1, 1954. The observance honors veterans and those serving now. The United States is at war in Iran, and roughly 30,000 World War II veterans remain alive.
The hope that World War I would end all wars proved tragically misplaced. But that failure does not diminish the value of the service remembered on November 11. Veterans Day recognizes the people who have borne extraordinary burdens in defense of the nation and its freedoms.
Reported by Deseret News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, PJ Media.
