Tribute to the Founder of Veterans Day Nov 10

Mission: To pay tribute to the man, city, and state that launched the National Veterans Day movement in America after WW II, inspiring more patriotic action and education.

76th Anniversary of America’s First Veterans Day

November 10, 2023, 1630-1645 (4:30-4:45 p.m.) – Flyer (PDF)

Program Presentation Text

If you missed the program and/or want a copy of what happened, the text is here.

Channel 13 Coverage of Nov. 2019 Event at Linn Park

Life Leaders Founder Dr. David Dyson speaks at Raymond Weeks Tribute

Thanks to NBC-TV WVTM for great coverage.

You can watch the program on video: 2019 Tribute to the Founder of Veterans Day

Video: National Veterans Day Founded in Alabama
(November 2018)

Pres. Reagan Honors National Veterans Day Founder Raymond Weeks
of Alabama on national television 1982.

Life Leaders created this short video for your use in classrooms, veterans events, and civic organizations, and to accompany the handouts and other resource materials found on our Veterans Day Founding Education page. Video contents and approximate times (Total time: 4 minutes 31 seconds):

Eisenhower-Weeks photo (1946) endorsing “National Veterans Day 1947” (0:12)
Video clip of Reagan honoring Weeks, the “driving force” for America’s Veterans Day (2:00)–full speech here.
Weeks interview on White House lawn by NBC about how he and Eisenhower launched the national holiday (1:20)
Jeopardy TV clip: “Father of Veterans Day” (0:20)
Closing and call to action–US Senate Resolution restoring historical credit to Birmingham, Alabama, Weeks; Tribute to the Founder at the Weeks Memorial photo; Join the Movement; web site address to get more information (0:30)
Watch the full video (12:41) of Ronald Reagan presents Presidential Citizens Medal to Raymond Weeks
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections Presentation of Presidential Citizens Medal to Raymond Weeks 11/11/1982
Read the full transcript of President Reagan’s Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Citizens Medal to Raymond Weeks at a Veterans Day Ceremony, November 11, 1982

Newspaper Clipping from Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections Presentation of Presidential Citizens Medal to Raymond Weeks 11/11/1982

Bham Now Recording of
2018 Tribute to the Founder of Veterans Day

Raymond Weeks Memorial Service Commemorating the 71st Anniversary of America’s First Veterans Day at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham. Source: Bham Now.

Bham Now‘s video recording of the 2018 Tribute to the Founder of Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 had been viewed almost 1,500 times within 3 days of posting!

WVTM-13: Veterans Day ceremonies held in Birmingham area Sunday

**BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —**Ceremonies were held Sunday to honor the men and women in military service. Photo by WVTM-13.

A Veterans Day ceremony was held in Linn Park in Birmingham to honor Raymond Weeks.

Mr. Weeks, a World War II veteran, first organized a “National Veterans Day” event in Birmingham in 1947, to honor all veterans on November 11.

Veterans Day 2018: History of honoring
America’s veterans in Birmingham

**BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —**WVTM 13’s Jeff Eliasoph tells you about the history of honoring military veterans in Birmingham. Shown in photo: Duke Martin, chaplain, and (right) Col. Bob Barefield (USA Retired), chair of the event.

Watch video on the WVTM-13 web site.

Riderless horse and color guard prior to beginning the *Tribute to the Founder of Veterans Day* at the Raymonds Weeks Monument in downtown Birmilngham.
Photo courtesy of Civitan International.

VETERANS DAY: Civitan Raymond Weeks’ lifelong mission of service
More on the Life Leaders’ Raymond Weeks page!

Archives

WVTM-13 Tribute to Raymond Weeks, founder of National Veterans Day

Sunday, November 11, 2018, 4:30-5 p.m.
(Nov 10 except when the holiday is observed on a day other than Nov. 11)
Raymond Weeks Memorial
Linn Park, Birmingham
Patriotic music, color guard from The American Village, riderless horse, lay wreaths at the monument by Patriotism in Action, National Veterans Day, Blue Star Salute Foundation, summary of 7 highlights founding National Veterans Day and introduction of the family of the founder Raymond Weeks

Organizer: Col. Bob Barefield, chair, Patriotism in Action

Emcee: Dr. David Dyson, founder, Patriotism in Action
co-author of book telling how Veterans Day started, Patriotism in Action

2018 National Veterans Day Birmingham Schedule of Events (PDF)