Fly flags on November 11, or November 12?

November 11, 2018

From Dallas GuideLive: Dallas area ROTC squads hold dozens of American flags in formation as they kick off the festivities on Veterans Day in 2014.

From Dallas GuideLive: Dallas area ROTC squads hold dozens of American flags in formation as they kick off the festivities on Veterans Day in 2014. Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer

Veterans Day falls on Sunday in 2018. Should we fly our flags on Sunday, November 11, or on Monday, November 12, when those organizations that offer a holiday to workers give the day off?

Two official answers, and a pragmatic one:

1. The U.S. Flag Code specifies “Veterans Day,” which grew from Armistice Day, which is November 11, marking the day of the armistice that ended fighting in World War I. So the law specifies November 11. (There is no enforcement clause in that law, by the way — no flag police will check your neighborhood.)

2. President Trump’s proclamation for Veterans Day specifies November 11 (see below). Presidents may issue proclamations on any of the dates listed in law, or on other dates as they desire. (No flag police there, either.)

3. Get real; you may fly your flag either day or both days. Very few organizations offer Veterans Day as a holiday. Monday, November 12, 2018, will be another work day. Certainly you may fly your flag then, as you may fly it any day. Most formal celebrations of Veterans Day will be November 11. Fly your flags then.

President Donald J. Trump’s proclamation for Veterans Day 2018 was issued on November 9.

Presidential Proclamation on Veterans Day, 2018

Issued on: November 9, 2018

On November 11, 1918, the United States and its allies signed an armistice with Germany to end hostilities in World War I.  The Great War exacted a tremendous toll on our Nation.  More than 100,000 American service members perished in the war, and the lives of countless others were forever altered.  In 1919, to honor and memorialize these sacrifices, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day, the precursor to Veterans Day, expressing “solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service.”  This year, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, we again salute the generations upon generations of American heroes who have sacrificed so much to secure the blessings of freedom for their fellow Americans.

We will never be able to repay the debt we owe the brave men and women who have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.  To the 20 million veterans alive today:  this Veterans Day, we recommit ourselves to providing you with the care you deserve.  In June, I signed into law the VA MISSION Act of 2018, enacting some of the most substantial reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in a generation.  This landmark legislation made Veterans Choice permanent, ensuring that our Nation’s veterans have timely access to the highest quality of care possible and the flexibility to receive care either at the VA or at a private healthcare facility.  The VA MISSION Act is removing barriers to telemedicine and expanding access to walk-in clinics.  And it is giving veterans who were catastrophically injured in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War the same access to caregiver assistance that veterans of more recent conflicts already enjoy.  My Administration is also processing veteran claims and appeals more quickly than ever before, and veterans can now use their GI Bill benefits at any point in their lives.  And, for the first time in history, the Department of Defense and the VA will share electronic health records, improving accessibility and easing the healthcare burden on our veterans.

For many service members, the transition into civilian life can be fraught with challenges.  To enhance their access to critical resources and support, I signed an Executive Order that directs the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security to develop and implement a Joint Action Plan that provides seamless access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources for service members in the year following the conclusion of their military service.

As we mark the centennial of the Armistice, we remember the countless sacrifices that our country’s heroic veterans have made throughout our history to preserve our liberty and prosperity.  Our veterans embody the values and ideals of America and the timeless virtue of serving a greater cause.  With respect for, and in recognition of, the contributions our service members have made to the advance of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation’s veterans.  As Commander in Chief of our heroic Armed Forces, I humbly thank our veterans and their families for their selflessness and love of country as we remember their service and their sacrifice.  Today, and every day, we pay tribute to those who have worn the uniform, and we pray for the safety of all currently serving in harm’s way.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2018, as Veterans Day.  I encourage all Americans to recognize the fortitude and sacrifice of our veterans through public ceremonies and private thoughts and prayers.  I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities.  I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

DONALD J. TRUMP

U.S. military veterans. AP Photo/Damian Dovargane

U.S. military veterans. AP Photo/Damian Dovargane


Veterans Day 2018 – Fly your flag

November 11, 2018

We fly our flags today, November 11, to honor all veterans, an extension and morphing of Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I. The Armistice took effect on the November 11, 1918.

(In 2018, many commemorations have been moved to Monday, November 12; feel free to fly the flag both days.)

Veterans Day parade in Aurora, Illinois, unknown year. Photo from EnjoyAurora.com.

Veterans Day parade features a nice jumble of flags in Aurora, Illinois, unknown year. Photo from EnjoyAurora.com.

Another very nice Veterans Day poster from the Veterans Administration, for 2018:

2018's Veterans Day from the Veterans Administration features the poppy symbolic of World War I, contrasted with barbed wire from the battlefields.

2018’s Veterans Day from the Veterans Administration features the poppy symbolic of World War I, contrasted with barbed wire from the battlefields.

In world history or U.S. history, I usually stop for the day to talk about the origins of Veterans Day in Armistice Day, the day the guns stopped blazing to effectively end fighting in World War I.

For several reasons including mnemonic, the treaty called for an end to hostilities on the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918. Your state’s history standards probably list that phrase somewhere, but the history behind it is what students really find interesting.

Original documents and good history can be found at the Library of Congress online collections.

The Allied powers signed a ceasefire agreement with Germany at Rethondes, France, at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, bringing the war later known as World War I to a close.

President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day the following year on November 11, 1919, with the these words: “To 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…” Originally, the celebration included parades and public meetings following a two-minute suspension of business at 11:00 a.m.

Co. E, 102nd U.S.A. Curtiss Studio, photographers, c1917. Panoramic Photographs. Prints & Photographs Division

 

Between the world wars, November 11 was commemorated as Armistice Day in the United States, Great Britain, and France. After World War II, the holiday was recognized as a day of tribute to veterans of both wars. Beginning in 1954, the United States designated November 11 as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars. British Commonwealth countries now call the holiday Remembrance Day.

Online holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provide rich sources of information on America’s military, and on veteran’s day. NARA leans to original documents a bit more than the Library of Congress. For Veterans Day 2016, NARA featured an historic photo form 1961:

 President John F. Kennedy Lays a Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as part of Veterans Day Remembrances, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, 11/11/1961 Series: Robert Knudsen White House Photographs, 1/20/1961 - 12/19/1963. Collection: White House Photographs, 12/19/1960 - 3/11/1964 (Holdings of the @jfklibrary)

NARA caption: President John F. Kennedy Lays a Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as part of Veterans Day Remembrances, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, 11/11/1961 Series: Robert Knudsen White House Photographs, 1/20/1961 – 12/19/1963. Collection: White House Photographs, 12/19/1960 – 3/11/1964 (Holdings of the @jfklibrary)

For teachers, that page also features this:

For Veterans Day, explore the many resources in the National Archives about veterans and military service.

(Well, actually it’s for everyone. But teachers love those kinds of links, especially AP history teachers who need documents for “Document-Based Questions” (DBQs).

On one page, the Veterans Administration makes it easy for teachers to plan activities; of course, you need to start some of these weeks before the actual day:

For Teachers & Students

Hope your Veterans Day 2017 goes well, and remember to fly your flag at home.

This is an encore post.

Yes, this is an encore post. Defeating ignorance takes patience and perseverance.