Veteran's Day 2025

Charities whose missions support veterans, active military and their families

The support Americans have for their armed forces is evident in how much they donate each year to charities with military-related missions. According to Charity Navigator, Americans donate more than $2.5 billion annually to charities with missions dedicated to the military. Individuals who want to donate to a charitable organization with a military-related mission may not know where to start, and that can be daunting given the number of organizations that ft that criteria. Charity Navigator indicates there are more than 40,000 American charities with military-related missions, which underscores how diffcult it can be to fnd one to support. Thankfully, Charity Navigator, which has provided donors with free access to data, tools and resources

to guide their philanthropic decision-making since 2001, has curated a list of highly rated organizations that provide a variety of services to military members and their families. The following is a brief rundown of that list that can serve as a solid foundation for prospective donors. The full list can be found at charitynavigator.org.

Wounded Troops • Air Warrior Courage Foundation (airwarriorcourage.org)

• DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust (cst.dav.org)

• Fisher House Foundation (fsherhouse.org)

• Higher Ground (highergroundusa.org)

• Homes for Our Troops (hfotusa.org)

• K9s for Warriors (k9sforwarriors.org)

• Operation Second

Chance (operationsecondchance.org)

• Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org)

• Yellow Ribbon Fund (yellowribbonfund.org)

Military Social Services

• AMVETS National Service Foundation (amvetsnsf.org)

• Hire Heroes USA (hireheroesusa.org)

• Honor Flight Network (honorfight.org)

• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (iava. org)

• Operation Gratitude (operationgratitude.com)

FAQ about Veterans Day

Each November, millions of people recognize the service and sacrifce of military veterans on Veterans Day. Initially commemorated as Armistice Day but renamed Veterans Day in the United States in 1954, the holiday is a federal holiday throughout the country.

The frst Armistice Day was observed in 1919. Despite that lengthy history, the general public may still have questions about Veterans Day.

When is Veterans Day observed?

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs notes that Veterans Day is always observed offcially on November 11, regardless of which day of the week that happens to be. In 2023, Veterans Day is Saturday, November 11. Because Veterans Day falls on a Saturday in 2023, the federal

observation date is Friday, November 10.

Why is November 11 so signifcant?

November 11 is a significant day in world history because it marks the signing of the armistice between the Allies of World War I and Germany at 5:45 a.m. on November 11, 1918. Though the formal peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, was not signed until 1919 and hostilities between the sides continued for hours after the armistice was signed, the day is still viewed as the end of World War I.

What distinguishes Veterans Day from Memorial Day?

The VA notes that Veterans Day honors all those individuals who served honorably in the miliary during both wartime and peacetime. Memorial Day

is a day to honor and remember military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who lost their lives in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

What is the signifcance of red poppies?

Red poppies are ubiquitous on Memorial Day, but they’re also visible on Veterans Day. Though it’s not taboo to wear red poppies on Veterans Day, it’s a tradition that aligns more with Memorial Day. That’s because the poppies are typically worn to honor fallen military personnel.

A 1915 poem written by a Canadian Lieutenant Colonel named John McCrae referred to the felds of poppies growing around the graves of World War I soldiers in Flanders.

Do other countries hon-

• Operation Healing Forces (operationhealingforces.org)

• Soldiers’ Angels (soldiersangels.org)

• The Mission Continues (missioncontinues.org)

Military Family Support

• Army Emergency Relief (armyemergencyrelief. org)

• Blue Star Families (bluestarfam.org)

• Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation (fallenpatriots.org)

• Folds of Honor (foldsofhonor.org)

• Operation Homefront (operationhomefront.org)

• Our Military Kinds (ourmilitarykids.org)

• Travis Manion Foundation (travismanion.org)

• VFW National Home for Children (vfwnationalhome.org)

or their military veterans?

Many countries across the globe honor their military veterans, and many do so on November 11 as well. For example, Canadians and Australians observe

Brown Township Supervisors United

Gestures anyone can embrace in support of veterans

Veterans Day (United States) and Remembrance Day (Canada) are commemorated each year on November 11. Both holidays honor the individuals who served in the armed forces for their respective countries.

Community-wide events tend to be held on November 11, but any day of the year is a good time to pay respect to veterans. On a local level, people can do much to thank veterans for their service and sacrifce.

• Provide a free restaurant meal. Offer to take out a veteran for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you see a veteran eating in a restaurant, anonymously pay the bill for that person.

• Send care packages. Communities can gather

resources and chip in to make care packages for veterans who live in town, and even to send to troops stationed elsewhere. Include foods and comforts from home.

• Buy from veterans. Seek out veteran-owned businesses in the area, and then make purchases from their retail stores or utilize their services.

• Volunteer at a VA hospital. Spend time with veterans where they receive care for current health needs or past injuries suffered in combat.

• Decorate cemeteries. Honor fallen veterans by placing fowers or fags by their gravesites.

• Participate in a parade. If your town hosts a Veterans Day or Remembrance

Day parade, fnd out how you can volunteer or be a part of it. Oftentimes parade offcials enable youth groups, such as high school marching bands or scouting troops, to participate in the parade.

• Write to the newspaper. Write an op-ed or highlight piece to submit to the newspaper about veterans in the community. Mention local veterans who have unique stories, or speak about the importance of veterans to the community.

• Ask a veteran to speak. If you work in a school or a community center, ask veterans to share their experiences with area youth.

even

• Visit local memorials. Spend time visiting memorials nearby and paying homage to the veterans who

Notable monuments to veterans across the United States

Veterans Day honors the millions of men and women who have sacrifced much to serve in the United States military. Veterans Day is commemorated each year on November 11 because it was that day in 1918 when an armistice was reached between combatants in World War I, which estimates suggest claimed the lives of as many as 22 million people.

There are many ways for Americans to celebrate veterans on Veterans Day.

Visiting war memorials can instill a greater sense of appreciation for the men and women who have served in the United States military. The following are some notable war memorials honoring veterans across the United States.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is an iconic memorial located in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Cemetery offcials note New York Congressman and World War I veteran Hamilton Fish, Jr., played an integral role in establishing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by proposing legislation that provided for the internment of one unknown American soldier killed during WWI. Guards are now present at the tomb 24/7, and visitors, including U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries, typically lay a wreath at the tomb to honor the sacrifces of all U.S. veterans.

Korean War Veterans Memorial The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. honors the roughly 1.5 million American veterans who fought alongside forces from the United Nations in a confict that lasted from 1950 to 1953. Nineteen sculptures depicting U.S. servicemen on patrol during the confict are among the many notable components of this

Interesting facts about Veterans Day

Each November, indi-

viduals across the United States gather to remember and honor the brave men and women who devoted their lives to maintaining the freedoms U.S. residents continue to enjoy. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11 and pays tribute to all American veterans — including the living and deceased — but especially thanks the living veterans who served honorably during war or peacetime, according to History.com. Veterans Day originally was known as Armistice Day, which was established to commemorate the end of World War I. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower offcially changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day in an effort to recognize all veterans.

That name change is just one of many interesting facts about Veterans Day.

• November 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of the “war to end all wars,” even though the Treaty of Versailles, which offcially ended World War I, was signed roughly seven months later on June 28, 1919.

• While Veterans Day is an American holiday, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and France also honor the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th. Canada celebrates Remembrance Day, while Britain observes Remembrance Sunday each year on the second Sunday of November.

• Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs says there are around 19 million U.S. veterans as of 2021.

• Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, D.C., holds an an-

nual memorial service on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day. That cemetery is home to the graves of more than 400,000 people, most of whom served in the military.

• Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest percentage of all U.S. veterans, surpassing the number of Vietnam Warera veterans by almost two million, according to the VA.

• Memorial Day is a time to remember those who died in battle or from wounds suffered in battle. However, Veterans Day honors all of the people who served their country, including both living and deceased veterans.

• The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates women make up approximately 10 percent of the veteran population. By 2025, that number is expected to climb to 12 percent.

• In 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act. At 3:11 p.m. (Atlantic Standard Time) on Veterans Day, a moment of silence is observed and continues for 120 seconds.

• The last living American WWI veteran died in 2011. His name was Frank Buckles.

• In 2021, 37 percent of veterans were age 70 and older, according to Pew Research. An additional 36 percent of veterans were between the ages of 50 and 69.

• The U.S. Census Bureau indicates the percentage of the American population with military experience is on the decline. In 2018, about 7 percent of U.S. adults were veterans, down from 18 percent in 1980.

moving memorial, which also features a wall and pool of remembrance that display the names of the more than 36,000 Americans killed during the Korean War.

Liberty Memorial

The Liberty Memorial in

Kansas City, Missouri, was built in 1926 to honor the brave American service members who lost their lives in World War I. The Liberty Memorial, which is now known as the National World War I Museum and Memorial, is an iconic landmark in Kansas City

that features the Liberty Memorial Tower, which rises 217 feet about Memorial Courtyard and 268 feet above the North Lawn. The top of the tower emits a fame at night to create a stunning visual. Memory Hall on the east side of the Liberty Memorial Tower

containing a portion of the Panthéon de la Guerre, an iconic French painting that depicts the Allied nations of World War I.

USS Arizona Memorial The USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, is dedicated to preserving the memories of the sacrifces of servicemen who fought in the Pacifc theater throughout World War II. The memorial marks the resting place of more than 1,100 sailors during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, an event that led to U.S. involvement in World War II. The memorial is accessible exclusively by boat and the sunken remains of the battleship USS Arizona straddle the site.

These are just four of the many notable landmarks that commemorate the sacrifce and service of U.S. military members over the course of the nation’s history.

In Honor and