Armistice Day, Veterans Day Commemorated at American Military Cemetery in Hamm

On Saturday 11 November 2017 at 11:00, the American Military Cemetery and Memorial in Luxemourg-Hamm held a Commemorative ceremony of Veterans Day, organised by the U.S. Embassy and the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

The ceremony was led by the U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Kerri S. Hannan, with Kelly McKeague, Director, Defense POW/MIA Accounting agency, as Guest Speaker.

Despite the inclement weather, the event was attended by representatives of US armed forces stationed nearby in Germany, with the event also open to the public.

A US Act approved on 13 May 1938 made 11 November in each year a legal holiday — a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honour veterans of World War I but, in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilisation of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the U.S. history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organisations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on 1 June 1954, 11 November became a day to honour American veterans of all wars.