11 Answers about Veterans Day

facts everyone, especially veterans, should know

German soldiers of the 11th Reserve Hussar Regiment fighting from a trench, on the Western Front, 1916. Photo by Oscar Tellgmann. Public domain.

1. What is Veterans Day?

Veterans Day is the day on which we honor and remember veterans of the US Armed Forces. Veterans Day is always on November 11, but if the day falls on a Sunday then November 12 is a federal holiday.

2. What is the history of Veterans Day?

The film Out of Africa, which is set against a fairly accurate historical backdrop, features a scene between Denys George Finch Hatton and Berkeley Cole at the outbreak of World War I. Finch Hatton (Robert Redford) and Cole (Michael Kitchen) discuss employing as scouts the Somalis with whom Berkeley works. Denys, however, quickly pivots to whether they should get involved at all.

Michael Kitchen and Robert Redford in Out of Africa. Fair use.

Berkeley: They’d make very good scouts. We could cover the area from here to the Border. We could gather information for when the regulars arrive.

Denys: What’s it about? Have you any idea?

Berkeley: [embarrassed chuckle] Not really.

Denys: Well then why do you want to get into it?

Berkeley: Well…