Circumstances

Mike Pence delivered his National Veterans Day Observance speech on the 11th of November, 2017, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia. Arlington National Cemetery is a US historic military cemetery that was established during the Civil War. It was the first National Veterans Day Observance speech delivered by someone in the Trump-Pence administration.

The main circumstances of the speech are related to the observance of Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a US holiday observed each year on the 11th of November to honor military veterans – individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces (except those who received a dishonorable discharge from the Forces). The holiday was originally established as Armistice Day on 11th of November, 1918, when the armistice (peace treaty) with Germany marked the end of World War I: “(…) since the guns of the First World War fell silent, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the American people have observed this day, first as Armistice Day and now as Veterans Day.” (ll. 8-13). Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Note that a separate holiday, Memorial Day, is observed on the last Monday of May to honor t...