National Veterans Day in Birmingham
In 1947, Birmingham WWII Veteran Raymond Weeks led a delegation to Washington, D.C. to urge then-Army Chief of Staff General Dwight Eisenhower to create a national holiday that honored all veterans. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation that renamed Armistice Day and established November 11 as Veterans Day. As a result, Birmingham has been considered the home of Veterans Day for the last 77 years, led by the National Veterans Day Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan granted Weeks the Presidential Citizens Medal, recognizing him as the driving force behind the national holiday and the "Father of Veterans Day."
Celebrate our 80th Anniversary
WWII Veteran Raymond Weeks led the first National Veterans Day Parade in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama. A highlight for the region each year, the National Veterans Day Parade in Birmingham is the oldest in the country.
A perpetual National Veterans Award was created in Birmingham for America's first official National Veterans Day observance on November 11, 1954, as authorized by Congress. Its purpose is to honor an outstanding U.S. veteran who has made the greatest contribution to further the patriotic interests of veterans and veteran organizations throughout the country.
2027 Medal of Honor Convention
September 12 - 19, 2027
Birmingham, AL