Veterans Day is celebrated Nov. 11 to honor the armistice ending World War I. The armistice went into effect the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - 11 a.m. Nov. 11, 1918.

On June 4,1926, Congress officially declared Nov. 11 - originally called Armistice Day - to be a legal holiday. It became a national holiday in 1938.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all veterans.

In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed. It moved Veterans Day from Nov. 11 to the fourth Monday in October. The law went into effect in 1971. In 1975, President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to Nov. 11, due to the important historical significance of the date.

Veterans Day commemorates all veterans of all wars. In contrast, Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service to the nation.

Bill C. Seigfried, a U.S. Navy veteran, is a member of the Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 115 in the Lehigh Valley. He is, through the department of defense, a certified veteran funeral consultant adviser. Military organizations often assist with developing the funeral services of veterans.

“When a veteran passes away, it is a very emotional time for the family,” noted Seigfried. “They have so many decisions to make, and one of those is who will perform the military services. Most funeral homes are able to provide help with this type of service by contacting a local veterans group.”

Recently, Seigfried was involved in funeral arrangements for a veteran who moved from his Whitehall home to his daughter’s home in Oklahoma. He died while living with his daughter. The daughter contacted Seigfried for assistance with her father’s funeral.

Seigfried assembled an effort involving three teams needed to coordinate the funeral services, including a relocation of the remains to the wake, graveside services and all the elements of the funeral service itself.

The three teams were the Fleet Reserve Association, American Legion and the Marine Corps League. Each team had assignments to complete before the funeral.

The services went off without any issue because of the advanced, comprehensive planning of Seigfried’s teams.

Most veteran funeral services lack these challenges of out-of-state deaths with family seeking a relocation for a local burial. But, it can be a wise decision to enlist the services of a certified veteran funeral consultant adviser to assist with coordinating the funeral service.

Several years ago, a Coplay veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor died at age 95. He was residing in a nursing home near his son in central Florida. The local Fleet Reserve Association of Citrus County, Fla., assisted the family with the funeral services.

They assembled an exceedingly respectful service with full military honors. The veteran was buried at a large military cemetery in Bushnell, Fla.

As of 2018, there were more than 18 million veterans alive who served during at least one war. About 300,000 veterans of World War II remain alive. Approximately 9 percent of veterans are women. Many millions of veterans who served in other wars are alive.

Seigfried said it is important to acknowledge and thank veterans for their service.

He noted it is important to consider reaching out to your local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post or Fleet Reserve Association to secure assistance with funeral services if you are the family member of a veteran.

Engaging military funeral assistance can help relieve complications of arranging funeral services and may help the family through the grieving process.