Happy Veteran’s Day!

History of Veteran’s Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” –Veterans Affairs website.

In May of 1938 Veteran’s Day became a legal holiday and the War to end all wars would not hold. Within months, Germany would begin to attack Europe once again and by late 1941, America would join the Allies in the fight against the Axis powers.

Today, Thank a Veteran! Feel free to post your photos on The Botetourt Bee Facebook page in comments on this post.

__Cathy Benson phtos from Troutville Park and family.

William Hugh Thomas, Sgt, USMC !st Division, Pacific Theatre of Operations. Guadacanal to Okinawa.