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Alabama elected officials honor America’s heroes on Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly known as “Armistice Day,” originated in the countries of the Allied Powers to universally recognize the end of World War I.

A congressional resolution in 1926 officially recognized Armistice Day in the United States. Nearly 21 years later, a second world war broke out in Europe. In 1945, World War II came to a conclusion as Allied Forces had successfully defeated the tyrannical ambitions of the Axis Powers led by Nazi Germany.

Two years later, the first official “National Veterans Day” festivities took place in the United States, which occurred in Alabama.

World War II veteran and Alabamian Raymond Weeks on November 11, 1947, organized the nation’s first Veterans Day parade in Birmingham. A few years after, it would go on to become an annually recognized day to commemorate the service of the U.S. Armed Forces.

In 1954, the U.S. Congress passed a bill signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially enshrining the day as a federal holiday to recognize the sacrifice of those who had served the United States in uniform.

The Yellowhammer State’s elected leadership on Thursday took to social media to honor the service of the nation’s heroes who answered the call to defend the freedom of its people.

From the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley, day in and day out veterans contribute to the successes of Alabama. Whether by way of community service or their commitment to further strengthening United States national security through Alabama’s defense industry, veterans continue to forge a safer and more prosperous society for all Americans.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL

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