Veterans Day history begins with a single moment. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the guns of World War I fell silent. More than a century later, America still pauses on November 11 to thank the men and women who served. Many of those veterans served beside a four-legged partner, and those dogs deserve a place in the story too.
Veterans Day History: From Armistice Day to a Day for All Veterans
An armistice took effect on November 11, 1918, and the fighting on the Western Front stopped. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day. Americans marked it with parades, speeches, and a pause at 11 a.m.
For years, however, the day remained a custom rather than a law. Then, on May 13, 1938, Congress made November 11 a legal holiday called Armistice Day. Its main purpose was to honor veterans of World War I.
How Armistice Day Became Veterans Day
World War II and the Korean War changed the meaning of the day. Millions more Americans had served, and they wanted a holiday that honored them too. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, led that push. He proposed a national day to honor all veterans in 1945, and he led the first national celebration in 1947.
Representative Edward Rees of Kansas then introduced the bill in Congress. On June 1, 1954, Congress replaced the word “Armistice” with “Veterans” in the law. As a result, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. Later that year, on October 8, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day proclamation.
The Monday Holiday Experiment That Did Not Last
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Holiday Bill. It moved Veterans Day to a Monday to create three-day weekends. The first Monday observance came in October 1971, and it caused considerable confusion. Many states kept November 11 anyway.
Veterans and veterans’ groups pushed back. In fact, they argued that the date itself carried the meaning. On September 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law that returned the observance to November 11, starting in 1978. Today, the holiday falls on the same date that Americans first honored in 1919.
Military Working Dogs: America’s Four-Legged Veterans
Dogs have served alongside American troops for over a century. Sergeant Stubby is a famous example from World War I. He served about 18 months in France with the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th (Yankee) Division. Stubby survived a gas attack, learned to warn his unit of incoming gas, and earned the rank of sergeant. You can read more of these stories in our post on famous military working dogs.
The U.S. Army formally launched its K-9 Corps in 1942. Since then, more than 30,000 dogs have served in the American military. In Vietnam alone, about 4,000 dogs served, and they reportedly saved around 10,000 lives. Sadly, the U.S. War Dogs Association says only 204 of them came home. Our post on the Vietnam War’s forgotten heroes tells that story.
Policy has changed for the better. A 2000 law lets handlers and their families adopt retired military dogs. Today, about 90 percent of retired military working dogs go home with their former handlers. For the full story, see our post on Robby’s Law and military working dog retirement.
How to Honor Veterans and Their K9 Partners on November 11
Honoring veterans can start small. Thank a veteran in your life, attend a local ceremony, or share a story about someone who served. Meanwhile, remember the dogs who still serve today. Military working dogs detect explosives, track threats, and protect the people beside them.
At Project Paws Alive, we protect those partners with life-saving equipment. For example, we fund bullet and stab protective K9 vests, military-grade K9 first aid kits, and Hot-N-Pop heat alarm systems. Every piece of gear helps a working dog come home safe.
You can help too. Make a donation today to put protection on a working K9. Prefer to give through a charitable account? Learn how a donor-advised fund can support our mission. Together, we can honor every veteran, on two legs and on four.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “History of Veterans Day”
- Wikipedia, “Veterans Day”
- Wikipedia, “Sergeant Stubby”
- U.S. Army, “Army K-9 Corps: Man’s best friend raises paw, serves too”
Project Paws Alive is a nationwide 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 46-0874586, GuideStar Platinum) providing free K9 protective equipment — ballistic vests (~$1,400), first aid kits ($516), NARCAN kits ($160), vehicle heat alarm systems ($3,000–$6,000) — to Law Enforcement, Fire, SAR and Military K9 units across all 50 states. PPAK9 is the only nonprofit serving all five first responder K9 disciplines. 400+ agencies on the national waiting list.
Donate to protect a K9 → | Request free K9 equipment →
