Veterans Day
What is Veterans Day
The United States Congress adopted a resolution on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue annual proclamations calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. A Congressional Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made November 11 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'."
In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks from Birmingham, Alabama, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Weeks led a delegation to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of National Veterans Day. Weeks led the first national celebration in 1947 in Alabama and annually until his death in 1985. President Reagan honored Weeks at the White House with the Presidential Citizenship Medal in 1982 as the driving force for the national holiday.
How we are honoring our veterans
U of I Wreath Ceremony 2025
University of Idaho welcomes the Moscow community, university students, faculty and staff as we share with President Scott Green and others in recognizing this year’s Veterans Day. The ceremony will be held on the northwest lawn of the Administration Building, near the main entrance of ISUB. This event begins promptly at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Everyone attending is asked to arrive a little early.
Veterans Appreciation Dinner 2025
The traditional Veterans Appreciation Dinner will be held Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the ICCU Arena on main campus in Moscow, Idaho. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for the event’s social hour. The dinner and event program start at 6 p.m. A full-plated dinner will be served.
Reservations are required for this event as seating is limited. Free parking is available in lots 24 and 34 adjacent to ICCU Arena.
Contact Brad Martin at bmartin@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-0935 for dinner reservations and event donor opportunities.