Veterans’ Day 2026, is a far cry from the origins of Veterans’ Day with its roots in the declaration of Armistice Day. In 1954, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans” to recognize soldiers from not only World War I but from all major wars such as World War II and the Korean War. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954.
From then on, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million. I was one of those draftees. (I extended my two-year draft to three years, 1962-1965, so that I could be an army medic). Celebrating veterans of the draft is a bit ironic, considering that they did not volunteer their time in the military.
However, even the all-volunteer military personnel of today are caught up in a government that considers war and the threat of war a primary means of diplomacy, sustained by a military industrial complex that profits from a warring nation. Honoring veterans of this system seems to be an action that only distracts citizens from the unnecessary pervasive war economy and a warring nation.
I’ve noted in another essay the conflicting role of “warrior” with the civilian ethic of solving problems non-violently. I suspect this disconnect is the cause of some of the PTSD that many of our veterans suffer. Rather than honoring the sacrifices of the warrior, perhaps we should be apologizing to veterans for a system of government that uses them as instruments to maintain the most powerful military presence in the world.
This approach harkens back to the root of Veterans’ Day: Armistice Day. On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring anniversary of November 11, 1918, should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations,” and that the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day. In 1938, Armistice Day became a federal holiday with a focus on World War I veterans. In that legislation, the date of Nov. 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.'”
A dedication to world peace is no small thing. This aspiration for just peace among nations would mean that our military personnel, rather than preparing for war, would be working themselves out of a job — preparing for peace. Or, perhaps they would be designing new jobs, in community service for example. Peace keeping without the threat of military force would give a whole new meaning to “thank you for your service.” It would be giving thanks to the women and men who are builders rather than destroyers, who are innovators of supporting relationships rather than creating enemies. It is impossible to sustain war if weapons are beaten into plowshares, iron blades that cut through the soil in preparation for planting. A nation feeding people would be a significant transformation from being a warring nation.
Let this Veterans’ Day be a time to pledge to veterans a commitment to just peace among nations. Let it also be a time to honor peacemakers seeking alternatives to war. Say thank you to those veterans who have joined Veterans for Peace, “exposing the true cost of war and militarism since 1985.” For Veterans for Peace, “November 11 is not a celebration of military power. It marks the moment the guns finally fell silent after the slaughter of the First World War. It is a day to remember what war does to human beings and to recommit ourselves to lasting peace.” Let this Veterans’ Day be the impetus for a transformation of the day into a day of serious aspirations for peace among all nations.
John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Folk Rocker in his Concord home, Minds Crossing, and is a member of Veterans for Peace.