65th Anniversary of Alabama Leading America’s First National Celebration Honoring All Veterans

WHEREAS, in 1945, Mr. Raymond Weeks of Alabama, having returned from WWII military service, became inspired that America should have a National Veterans Day to honor all veterans; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Weeks was a patriot who took action petitioning General Dwight Eisenhower at the Pentagon in 1946, gaining support for a national celebration for all veterans to be hosted in Alabama; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Weeks directed in Birmingham a national veterans celebration in 1947 supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and the United Nations with two days of events attended by thousands of military personnel and civilians, including students, celebrating the service of veterans and the promotion of world peace; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Weeks and Alabamians persevered to establish a model for Veterans Day observances and reaffirmed in 1953 with newly elected President Eisenhower that the United States establish an official federal holiday; and

WHEREAS, President Eisenhower signed the first national Veterans Day proclamation in 1954 “in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation”; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan honored Raymond Weeks of Alabama at The White House in 1982 with the Presidential Citizens Medal as the “driving force” for America’s Veterans Day and “the man who made Armistice Day into this Veterans Day”; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Weeks’ founding of National Veterans Day exemplifies at least five of Alabama’s mandated educational character values through his patriotism to start a national holiday recognizing the sacrifices of our veterans, courage to launch a national initiative, perseverance for nine years from concept to law, loyalty to his calling for 40 years until his death in 1985, and citizenship demonstrated for his and future generations; and

WHEREAS, the Alabama Departments of Veterans Affairs, Education, and Tourism are working with Patriotism in Action to write, teach, and distribute enriched histories, character education lesson plans, and promotional messages so more Americans know this history with event planners and tourists increasingly choosing Alabama as a patriotic destination: 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the year 2012 as the 30th Anniversary of President Ronald Reagan honoring Alabama’s

30th Anniversary of President Ronald Reagan

Honoring Alabama’s Raymond Weeks

in the state of Alabama, and the

65th Anniversary of Alabama Leading America’s First National Celebration Honoring All Veterans

in the state of Alabama, and encourage all citizens to celebrate America’s Veterans Day to honor veterans, perpetuate world peace and inspire patriotism, courage, perseverance, loyalty and citizenship, thus making Alabamians and Alabama closer to our best selves.

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 22nd day of May 2012.

 

Governor Robert Bentley