National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day 2024 is on Saturday, July 27, 2024: What is the origins of Veterans Day?

Saturday, July 27, 2024 is National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day 2024.

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A veteran is a man or woman who worked in the American military. They are honored on Veterans Day each year on November 11th with national and local meetings, parades, and other programs to recognize their contributions.

World War I was known at the time as "The Great War." The ending of World War I fighting between the Allied Nations and Germany was celebrated at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). November 11, 1918 is also generally known as "The End of the War to End All Wars." The day originally became known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was dedicated to the cause of world peace. An armistice is an official agreement to stop fighting. After World War II and the Korean War, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed in 1954 proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the holiday was moved to the last Monday in October, basically to allow 3 day weekends for federal employees. Many people did not agree with this decision due to the historic and patriotic significance of the day and continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11th. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law returning the official celebration to its original date of November 11th beginning in 1978.

In August, 2001, US Senate Resolution 143 designated the week of November 11th-17th as "National Veterans Awareness Week". The resolution is directed toward educating students about the sacrifices and contributions of our military men and women.

Many people still confuse Veterans Day and Memorial Day. This special day honors all military men and women who served our country. The primary purpose of the holiday is mainly to thank them for their service to our country. Those killed in wars are honored specially on Memorial Day in May.

Questions on the Korean War Veterans Monument?

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was authorized by the U.S. Congress (Public Law 99-572) on October 28, 1986, with design and construction managed by the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board and the American Battle Monuments Commission. President George H. W. Bush conducted the groundbreaking for the Memorial on June 14, 1992, Flag Day. It was dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the war, by President Bill Clinton and Kim Young Sam, President of the Republic of Korea, to the men and women who served during the conflict. Management of the memorial was turned over to the National Park Service, under its National Mall and Memorial Parks group. As with all National Park Service historic areas, the memorial was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on the day of its dedication.

The memorial is in the form of a triangle intersecting a circle. Within the triangle are 19 stainless steel statues designed by Frank Gaylord,each larger than life-size, between 7 feet 3 inches and 7 feet 6 inches. The figures represent a squad on patrol, drawn from each branch of the armed forces; fifteen of the figures are from the U.S. Army, two are from the Marine Corps, one is a Navy Corpsman, and one is an Air Force Forward Air Observer. They are dressed in full combat gear, dispersed among strips of granite and juniper bushes which represent the rugged terrain of Korea. To the north of the statues is a path, forming one side of the triangle. Behind, to the south, is a 164 foot-long black granite wall, created by Louis Nelson Associates, with photographic images sandblasted into it depicting soldiers, equipment and people involved in the war. This forms the second side of the triangle. The third side of the triangle, facing towards the Lincoln Memorial, is open.

One of the memorial's 19 statues.To the north of the statues and path is the United Nations Wall, a low wall listing the 22 members of the United Nations that contributed troops or medical support to the Korean war effort.

The circle contains the Pool of Remembrance, a shallow 30-foot-diameter pool lined with black granite and surrounded by a grove of trees with benches. Inscriptions list the numbers killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners of war, and a nearby plaque in inscribed: "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met." Additionally, right next to the numbers of American soldiers are those of the United Nations troops in the same categories. In the south side of the memorial, there are three bushes of the Rose of Sharon hibiscus plant, South Korea's national flower.

A further granite wall bears the simple message, inlaid in silver: "Freedom Is Not Free".

Troop statistics

Engraved on granite blocks near the water pool at the east end of the monument are the casualty statistics for the soldiers who fought in the war.

Dead — United States: 54,246, United Nations: 628,833

Wounded — United States: 103,284, United Nations: 1,064,453.

Captured — United States: 7,140, United Nations: 92,970.

Missing — United States: 8,177,United Nations: 470,267.

does anyone know why the flags were at half masted today in Washington DC?

ADDED COMMENT: Dorothy Height was and remains a totally awesome person in American history. Honoring her w federal flags at half mast was in April of 2010 shortly after her passing (this if fr the archives of the prez proclamations). One of the geeky things I enjoy is reading the daily presidential proclamations & trying to remember the few that order the lowering of the stars & bars to half-wave (for some reason my husband often says "you're such a dork"---really, I don't see it) <3

You were getting warm w your Korean War connection. Today was proclaimed National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (as it is every July 27th). Flag at half-mast from sun-up to sun-down.

The National Park Service will always have this kind of notification in their morning brief

There's another site that can give you state-by-state info on daily flag flying:

Who'da thunk?