Soap Lake honors vets

A display at the Soap Lake library honoring Veterans Day. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Nov. 11 was originally known as Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War I and was first recognized in 1918. In 1947, Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran and resident of Birmingham, Ala., organized what he called “National Veterans Day.” In 1954, U.S. Rep. Edward Rees of Kansas proposed a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day in honor of all veterans. Weeks was presented the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Ronald Reagan in November of 1982. Today, the holiday recognizes all veterans for their service to the nation. Memorial Day is a separate holiday which honors servicemen and women who died in service to the nation.