Veterans Day is celebrated annually on November 11 and is dedicated to those who have fought for the U.S. Veterans from all wars are celebrated for their patriotism and sacrifice. Over the last week Veterans, Day has gotten 1, 047,000 mentions peaking at 728,425 on Thursday. Words such as “veterans”, “happy”, “military”, “country”, “served”, “service”, “today” and “honor” were all frequent in online discussion. #veteransday was also the most popular hashtag used with 98, 252 hits.
However, this holiday is unlike those of previous years, because Thursday marked the first time in 20 years that the U.S. was not at war on Veterans Day. President Joe Biden acknowledged this in his address at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans and Medal of Honor recipients. This week also marks the tomb’s centennial since its inception on Nov. 11, 1921, where for the first time members of the public were allowed to come close to the grave and pay their respects and lay flowers.
Pres. Biden: “We have many obligations, but one truly sacred obligation: to properly prepare those and equip those who we send into harm’s way, and care for them and their families…This is a lifetime sacred commitment. It never expires.” https://t.co/Zxj3ZIpEOv #VeteransDay pic.twitter.com/cA3rzq07fg
— ABC News (@ABC) November 11, 2021
Prior to this Thursday’s Veterans Day events, President Biden announced a new military and veteran suicide prevention strategy and a series of new support options for veterans who had been exposed to “toxic” burn pits while serving. In addition to Biden’s remarks, Vice President Kamala Harris also participated in Veterans Day while visiting the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial outside of Paris. Harris and her husband both took part in the wreath-laying ceremony in honor of Armistice Day and the U.S. Veteran’s Day.
Among some of the top themes in the conversation were Remembrance Day, Happy Veterans Day, Veteran’s Day, November 11, and Air Force. Another theme that came up was, Indigenious Veterans, when taking a closer look at this unique theme, the majority of discussion is located around Canada. Indigenious Veterans Day or National Aboriginal Veterans Day is a Canadian holiday celebrated on Nov. 8 to honor aboriginal contributions to military service.
This week has marked many celebrations of service and sacrifice across the world, ensuring that we all remember those who dedicate their lives to fighting for what they believe.
