Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

On November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. the Germans signed an armistice, or cease-fire, agreement ending World War I. A year later, President Woodrow Wilson would proclaim November 11 as Armistice Day, a day to honor those who died in the service of their country during World War I. Congress made it a legal holiday in 1938.

After World War II, Congress changed the name of the day to Veteran’s Day so that all veterans from all wars could be honored. President Eisenhower, a decorated World War II veteran himself, set up Continue reading →