Today is the official anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, and a day that we remember and honor all veterans.

According to the Wikipedia history of Veterans Day, President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 12, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later requesting the president to issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. A later act made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday “to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas, shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

It’s a nice illustration of how people who care about the right issue can affect their nation’s public policy. There are many bills in Congress right now affecting veterans. Take a look at all the veterans issues here. Click on a subject link to see all the bills in that area.

And spend a moment today thinking of the sacrifices our veterans have made for our nation and freedom.