National Veterans Day in Birmingham
In 1946, Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran from Birmingham, led a delegation to Washington, D.C., to urge then-Army Chief of Staff General Dwight Eisenhower to create a national holiday honoring all veterans. In 1947, Birmingham hosted its first Veterans Day celebration, including a banquet and parade.
Weeks’ efforts helped pave the way for national recognition. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation renaming Armistice Day as Veterans Day, honoring all veterans on November 11. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan awarded Weeks the Presidential Citizens Medal, recognizing him as the driving force behind the national holiday and the “Father of Veterans Day.”
Birmingham has celebrated Veterans Day since 1947 and is recognized as the home of National Veterans Day. Today, the National Veterans Day Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, carries on this enduring tradition of honoring those who have served.
Celebrate our 80th Anniversary
WWII Veteran Raymond Weeks led the first National Veterans Day Parade in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama. A highlight for the region each year, the National Veterans Day Parade in Birmingham is the oldest in the country.
A perpetual National Veterans Award was created in Birmingham for America's first official National Veterans Day observance on November 11, 1954, as authorized by Congress. Its purpose is to honor an outstanding U.S. veteran who has made the greatest contribution to further the patriotic interests of veterans and veteran organizations throughout the country.
2027 Medal of Honor Convention
September 13 - 18, 2027
Birmingham, AL