Some Phoenix area vets upset about Trump’s idea to change the name of Veterans Day
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is “hereby renaming May 8 as Victory Day for World War II and Nov. 11 as Victory Day for World War I.”
“We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything,” the president said. “That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
Opponents of the idea of changing the name of the Nov. 11 holiday from Veterans Day to Victory Day for World War I say it neglects the sacrifices of veterans who have served in other wars.
Congressman Greg Stanton responded to X, saying, “Veterans Day isn’t just about military victories. It’s about honoring the courage, sacrifice and service of all who wore the uniform. To overlook that—especially days after the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end—is not only tone deaf, it’s a disgrace. Our veterans stood for America’s mission under the hardest circumstances, and often at great personal cost. They’ve earned our respect, not revisionism.”
Valley vet David Lucier joined the U.S. Army at 19. He is a special forces Vietnam veteran and did civilian service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is in the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame and advocates for veterans. He was not surprised by Trump’s post and says he is angered by the idea of changing the name of Veterans Day.
“I am insulted and offended, pure and simple,” Lucier said. “This is a guy who has done nothing but whale on veterans even our own John McCain.”
Veterans Day was initially called Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I. It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all veterans. “Things go wrong. Planes get shot down. People get hurt. People get dragged away and imprisoned,” Lucier said, adding that it’s important to remember all those sacrifices.
Veteran Joanna Sweatt, who served ten years in the United States Marine Corps, agrees with Lucier. “This attempt at erasure and rewriting history of American service is disrespectful,” she says. “It’s also extremely dangerous. Veterans Day belongs to the people who earned it, who served, and not our politicians.”
Sweatt says renaming Veterans Day would be an outrage and insult to all those who wore the uniform. “Especially those who have had to fight twice. What I mean by that is they fought to serve their country and then they also had to fight for recognition, such as women who have served Black veterans and Native veterans.”
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