In 1947, Birmingham resident and Navy veteran Raymond Weeks led a delegation to Washington, DC, to request General Eisenhower’s support for changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor those who served in World War II. With Eisenhower’s blessing, Weeks returned to Birmingham and started what is the nation’s oldest and largest Veterans Day parade. Each November 11, thousands pack downtown streets and sidewalks to thank our soldiers for their service and sacrifice.


Encyclopedia of Alabama

Photos courtesy of: Birmingham Public Library, Alabama Department of Archives and History