Statewide, students and federal and state workers enjoyed Monday off in celebration of Veterans Day, but the historical significance and origin of the day are not always stressed in classes or communities.

Joyce Davis, graduate counselor education major, said the holiday has been recognized as long as she has been in school, but not always emphasized.

“It was always recognized, but I’m unsure if it was always a celebrated holiday,” she said. “I can’t always remember if we got the day off.”

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War I, which occurred in 1918. The significance of the day lies in the number 11. Once the armistice, or truce, was signed, it was scheduled to be put into effect at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month.

Today, Americans celebrate the day as a way of honoring those who serve or have served in the armed forces, as well as those whose lives were lost in the process. In other countries throughout the world, people still refer to Nov. 11 as Armistice Day.

Americans began officially celebrating the day nearly half a century ago.

On June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation that officially changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

According to the text of the proclamation, Eisenhower said that citizens should “solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom.”

He also called for the promotion of peace so that the efforts of soldiers and the lives lost “shall not have been in vain.”

While it is a federal holiday, not all schools are required to celebrate it. In 2006, the California Assembly Committee on Higher University campuses to recognize Veterans Day, either on a Friday if it falls on a Saturday, or on a Monday if it falls on a Sunday. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year.

Throughout the country, people find different ways of celebrating the holiday.

Lt. Col. Michael Goedrich, who works with Sacramento State’s ROTC program, said some people have parades while others hold remembrances at cemeteries. In some places, children make cards to deliver to Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

“It’s just a mixed bag,” he said. “(But) it’s always real positive. I think we’ve come a long way.”

Goedrich, who has been deployed several times, said the treatment of veterans by society has changed over the years.

“Back when I was a young man (after returning from Vietnam) I remember just driving down the road and getting flipped off by people who didn’t even know me,” he said.

Davis said many veterans of past wars have been denied proper medical attention and been looked down upon for going to war.

“As a counselor, I’ve witnessed first-hand how poorly veterans are now treated,” she said. “They have risked their lives to protect us…After the world wars, I know they were recognized and considered heroes, but shortly after, they…were forgotten.”

Today, Goedrich said attitudes have shifted, and people have become appreciative for sacrifices made by soldiers on their behalf.

“People realize that they don’t want to act (negatively),” he said.

Goedrich recalled the experience of returning from his last deployment.

“(There are) ex-veterans and people with flags when they get off the plane,” he said. “That’s amazing to see.”

Whether or not a veteran fights in a war or serves during times of peace is sometimes a factor in how he or she is treated.

Government Lecturer John Victor was stationed in West Germany during the Cold War, but said he was fortunate enough to avoid serving during times of combat. He said he has never experienced hostility from people simply because he’s a veteran.

“Most people appreciate my service to our country,” he said. “I look with pride upon my service.”

Goedrich said that, unlike in years past, many activists today who are against the war still support the troops. This is because many have distinguished between President George Bush, who, with the financial backing of Congress, is the one waging war against other countries, and the troops, who are simply doing their jobs.

“(In the past) people just treated the veterans really badly,” he said. “And nowadays people are against the war. They don’t like the way things are going, but they’re not taking it out on the troops.”

He said the important thing to realize is that Veterans Day isn’t just about the stereotypical image people paint in their heads of old men, decorated in war medals, who served in World War II.

“A lot of times when we think of Veterans Day…we think of the old founding fathers,” he said. “Nowadays, people who are dying…are these young men and women. That’s the part I think people need to be reminded about.”

Davis agreed that students need to question the images they have of veterans and realize that war is a very real issue.

“It is our generation who must remember that veterans are not only the men who served decades before, but could include your fellow classmate who served in Iraq or Afghanistan just years before coming to CSUS,” she said.

Natalye Childress Smith can be reached at [email protected].