Arts & Culture

Photos: Observing Veteran's Day from WWI to the Vietnam Memorial

KNKX Public Radio | By Cara Kuhlman

Published November 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM PST

1 of 5 — VIETNAM WOMENS MEMORIAL

Vietnam veterans place mementos on the Vietnam Women's Memorial during the dedication ceremony of the bronze sculpture depicting three nurses and a wounded soldier, by Glenna Goodacre, in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Nov. 11, 1993. Thousands of veterans attended the dedication of the memorial, which honors more than 11,000 women who served in the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander)

MARCY NIGHSWANDER/ASSOCIATED PRESS / AP

2 of 5 — Vietnam Veterans Memorial

An unidentified man is reflected in the facade of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, Nov. 11, 1987. Snow covers several pairs of empty combat boots along the base of the wall. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)

Doug Mills/AP / AP

3 of 5 — Veterans Day 1958

Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 97,000 of the nation's military dead are buried in Arlington, Virginia, is shown on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 1958. (AP Photo)

Anonymous/ASSOCIATED PRESS / AP

4 of 5 — Veterans Day Harding 1921

President Warren G. Harding places a wreath on the casket of an unknown soldier from World War I in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 11, 1921 in Washington. (AP Photo)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

5 of 5 — NYC ARMISTICE DAY CELEBRATION

This aerial view shows a crowded New York City street as people celebrate Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1918. (AP Photo)

More than 100 years ago, Nov. 11, 1918 marked the end of fighting during World War I. Originally commemorated in the U.S. as Armistice Day, November 11 became "Veteran's Day" in 1954 when the federal holiday was expanded to celebrate all American veterans.

These archival images show Americans commemorating veterans across the past century, from the end of fighting in World War I to honoring the dead at Arlington National Cemetery and dedicating a memorial for the women who served in the Vietnam War.