Countdown to Veterans Day 2015: An Initiative to expand awareness and support of Veterans Day

An ad-hoc group of public and private organizations have gotten together to raise awareness for Veterans Day 2015. The Veterans Day national holiday takes place on November 11th.

By using the simple hashtag #CountdownToVeteransDay, and by linking their social media efforts, the organizations hope to inform people about veterans issues, veterans needs, veterans contributions, and veterans support programs. There are a number of participating organizations, including the Veterans Administration, Arlington National Cemetery, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and the World War One Centennial Commission.

The "Countdown To Veterans Day" symbolically started on Tuesday, 22 September, 50 days from Veterans Day. The Countdown will culminate in the National Veterans Day event at Arlington National Cemetery.

"We feel that one day is not enough to talk about veterans" said Dan Dayton, executive director of the WWI Centennial Commission. "With the countdown, we want to make people aware. When people are aware of Veterans Day, they can discuss what people do to serve our country, they can see who helps veterans in need, and if they are inclined, they can help these veterans out".

As a holiday, Veterans Day invites people to participate -- to volunteer for veterans-themed projects, to donate to organizations that support military veterans, to share pictures and stories of military service on social media.  For a list of volunteer service opportunities, visit the Countdown to Veterans Day page.

Veterans Day grew out of the original Armistice Day national holiday that commemorated the end of combat in World War I on November 11, 1918.