Nov. 11, 2011

To mark Veterans Day on November 11, United States President Barack Obama spoke of the sacrifice of U.S. veterans and members of the armed services and placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Veterans Day, a legal holiday in the United States, honors men and women who have served in the U.S. armed services. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I (1914-1918). In 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war. In 1954, Congress changed the holiday’s name to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand observe November 11 as Remembrance Day to honor people who have died in war. The United Kingdom celebrates Remembrance Day on the Sunday closest to November 11.

The Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Va., honors members of the United States armed forces who have given their lives in war. A sentry guards this famous memorial day and night. This photo shows the changing of the guard at the tomb. Kurt Scholz, Shostal.

The Tomb of the Unknowns–originally called the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier–was completed in 1931. At first, it held only the body of one of the many American soldiers killed in battle in World War I who could not be identified. Congress later directed that an “Unknown American” from each of three wars–World War II (1939-1945), the Korean War (1950-1953), and the Vietnam War (1957-1975)–be buried beside the tomb. The Vietnam War unknown was the only American serviceman killed in that war whose remains could not be identified. At the time of the ceremony, however, more than 2,400 service members were still listed as missing. In 1998, DNA tests determined that the Vietnam War unknown was Michael Blassie, an Air Force lieutenant shot down over South Vietnam in 1972. Later in 1998, the remains of Lieutenant Blassie were moved to a veterans’ cemetery near St. Louis.

Arlington National Cemetery is one of the largest and most famous national cemeteries in the United States. The cemetery surrounds Arlington House, which was the home of General Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederate Army in the American Civil War (1861-1865). The U.S. government made Arlington a national cemetery in 1864.

Additional World Book articles:

• Afghanistan War
• Iraq War
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Persian Gulf War of 1991
  
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial