By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Nov. 5, 2025: I write this as a November election is approaching and yet right behind it is Veterans Day so I thought I would focus on the event that is much more unifying in spirit. Next Tuesday we honor the courage, service and love of country demonstrated by all of our veterans past and present – a tie that binds.

Over 400 million Americans throughout history have served in the Armed Forces and 1.3 million do so currently. Of the 16 million veterans of World War II, less than 100,000 are living today and we lose approximately 130 of them daily. Over 2.7 million men and women served in Vietnam with 58,000 losing their lives. Of the 1.8 million who served in Korea, 7000 remain unaccounted for. Currently there are approximately 9 million proud veterans in our country.

November 11 was chosen as the day to honor them as the armistice ending World War I, “The war to end all wars.” It was signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. To achieve the armistice, national representatives met in French commander Ferdinand Foch’s railroad car in the forest of Compiegne 35 miles north of Paris, so chosen for its remote and discreet location. So renamed Veterans Day by Congress in 1954, Armistice Day was first celebrated at Buckingham Palace in 1919 as the Treaty of Versailles was not signed until June 28, 1919.

Upon hearing the news, our country went wild. Manhattan became impossible to navigate; church bells tolled and thousands of pounds of confetti rained on happy revelers. New York City Veterans Day parade is now the nation’s largest and oldest, beginning with the 1919 celebration.

The remembrance was not made a legal holiday until 1938 by an Act of Congress. Originally commemorating the cessation of World War I, World War II veterans petitioned Congress to expand its significance to recognize all veterans for their service starting with the 1947 commemoration. Given the significance of the date, a bill was passed in 1976 to hold the holiday in perpetuity on November 11 regardless of the day of the week.

The holiday is celebrated by every Allied Nation with Canada and Australia also celebrating on November 11 under the name Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day in England is celebrated on the closest Sunday to the 11th with a televised parade attended by every major political figure and Royal on the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Though we hold dear our November date, what matters most is making sure veterans have the care they need and the benefits that they earned when they come home. It’s about serving all of them as well as they’ve served the United States of America.

One could question whether we are meeting this obligation:

-At some veterans’ hospitals, there is currently a two-year medical consultation delay when diseases have proven to cross medical fields of expertise. 

-Unlike our senior citizens who receive a government issued card that entitles them to receive medical care from any participating doctor or hospital, veterans often must travel upwards of 100 miles to seek medical treatment.

-Returning veterans are two times more likely to become chronically homeless as their fellow Americans.

-It is estimated 50,000 vets sleep on the street every night.

-After the submission of a required 23-page document, 600,000 veterans are currently waiting for a disability determination.

The cost of war encompasses so much more than the cost of weaponry, salaries and equipment. The human cost is lasting and virtually incalculable. Traumatic brain injuries and PTSD often lead to unemployment, depression, violence and suicide. The difficulty of transition and few job opportunities coupled with the lifelong pain and hardship of children, families, and spouses who have lost a loved one further exacerbates their situation.

Many worthwhile charities supplement the care of our veterans and could so use your support especially at this time of year.

Veterans themselves ask that you check with Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or Guidestar where one can discern not only if the organization is legitimate, but also learn the percentage of your donation that goes directly to veterans vs absorbed in overhead and staff expenses.

As important as the donor route is, a simple thank you is special. As only 325,000 of our 16 million Americans who served in World War II are still with us, a thanks to our “Veteran Veterans” would mean even more.

As a speaker said at a recent veterans’ event I attended, “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.”

We can take heart in President Clinton’s words. “We can honor the memory of our veterans best by remaining the best kind of Americans we can be, by keeping our nation strong and secure to fulfill the vision of a better world that so many of our veterans gave so much to create.“