Veterans Day is a day for America to honor those who have served in every branch of the military. It originally started as Armistice Day in 1919 by President Wilson, to honor those in World War 1 when the fighting stopped on November 11, on the 11th hour. President Wilson commemorated the day with 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…” In honor of the end of “the war to end all wars.” Armistice Day was celebrated with parades and public meetings, followed by businesses closing at 11 a.m. The name was changed in 1954 by President Eisenhower from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Interestingly in 1968 Congress passed a Uniform Holidays Bill and moved the celebration of Veterans Day to October and went into effect in 1971. President Ford moved it back to the 11th of November because of the significance of how it originated. While Armistice Day started out as a day to remember those members who fought in World War I, Veterans Day commemorated all veterans of war. Our country is amazing and wonderful because of the sacrifices made by our veterans.
To help honor and to give thanks, we took the time to research nationwide and local community support for our veterans. While there are much more resources than are shown below, we hope this will be a good start to help our veterans find the help and support they need and deserve.
Most veteran resources can be found here. More national resources found below
Veteran Crisis Line Information
American Legion-Programs and services for wounded warriors and their families.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) -Nonprofit that provides support for veterans and their families. They specialize in transportation and employment.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA)– Offers aid and assistance to veterans and their families and promotes awareness about veterans’ issues.
Purple Heart Foundation– Offers programs and resources to help combat wounded, disabled veterans, and their families with financial resources and employment.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)– Helps veterans with VA claims, education financial support, help with living expenses, food, and clothing.
Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline
Idaho locations for veteran affairs
Idaho retailers offering military discounts