Thanks To Trump, Veterans ‘Day’ Is Now A Whole Month

Since 1954, the Nov. 11 federal holiday has been an opportunity for Americans to reflect on the sacrifices made by military service members — living or dead — in both war and peacetime.

Now the holiday is getting a major upgrade from a single day to a whole month. At a closed Nov. 1 ceremony at the White House, President Trump declared the month of November National Veterans and Military Families Month, saying that it was “our patriotic duty to honor veterans and military families.” November has been dedicated to military families since 1996, but now vets are getting a whole month.



To honor those who “have borne the battle,” as Trump (quoting Abraham Lincoln) put it, the administration has tasked the Department of Veterans Affairs with instituting a number of observances and events throughout November.

“Every day of the month there will be an event celebrating our veterans and service members,” Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin told reporters, Military Times reports. “We’re going to be announcing new ID cards for veterans across the country. We’re going to be introducing the 24/7 White House veterans hotline the president talked about in his campaign.”


Additionally, the VA has scheduled events throughout the month, including veteran visits with NFL teams, programs on suicide prevention, and remarks from Shulkin at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day. A full list of the events can be found on the VA’s website.