Veterans Day Recognition, November 11th

While we are grateful for the service of our veterans every day in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and as we approach this Veterans Day tomorrow, we pause to honor and thank all those who have served our country for their service and commitment to freedom. 

November 11 was originally celebrated as Armistice Day in remembrance of the end of World War I. The observance in the U.S. was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law.

We are inspired by words borrowed from President Biden’s recent address, “This Veterans Day, we honor the generations of women and men who have served and sacrificed — not for a person, a place, or a President — but for an idea unlike any other:  the idea of the United States of America.  For nearly 250 years, our veterans have defended the values that make us strong so that our Nation could stand as a citadel of liberty, a beacon of freedom, and a wellspring of possibilities.” 

We express deep gratitude to our nation’s 18 million veterans, including over 500,000 Michiganders, for their courageous service and sacrifice in protecting the citizens of our great state and country. We honor these brave women and men who unselfishly placed their lives on the line to defend our freedom.

In respect and recognition of those in uniform serving today, all those who have served in the past and the families who support our veterans, we honor you. 

Sincerely, 

Jeanice Kerr Swift
Superintendent of Schools 
Ann Arbor Public Schools