星期天是美国一年一度的退伍军人节,也称老兵节。美国在这一天纪念数百万名曾在美军服役的男女军人,他们中很多人为国捐躯。

正在巴黎的美国总统特朗普发推文说,“今年老兵节时逢一战结束一百周年。我们向在第一次世界大战中为美国而战的勇敢英雄们致敬,向每一位曾经穿军装保卫国家安全、强大和自由的老兵致敬!”

前总统奥巴马也发出了纪念推文。他说,“我们所有的老兵和你们的家人:谢谢你们。没有什么颂词能充分体现你们对国家做出的伟大贡献和巨大牺牲。”“可我们所有的人能够尽自己最大的努力,不辜负奉献、责任、慷慨和公民等美国价值观。你们为捍卫这些价值做出了贡献。”

在美国,退伍军人节最初被称为“休战日”,纪念一次世界大战结束。美国国会在1926年通过一项决议案,决定将这天定为一年一度的节日。因此从1938年起,每年的11月11日就成为国家假日。今年老兵节的日子恰逢周末,官方纪念日就延至星期一。

The United States is observing Veterans Day on Sunday, the annual day it stops to remember the millions of men and women who have served in the country’s armed forces, often at the sacrifice of their own lives.

President Donald Trump, in Paris, said on Twitter, “On this Veterans Day — the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI, we honor the brave HEROES who fought for America in the Great War, and every Veteran who has worn the uniform and kept our Nation Safe, Strong and FREE!”

In his Veterans Day message, former president Barack Obama tweeted, “To all our veterans and your families: thank you. There’s no tribute that can truly match the magnitude of your service and sacrifice.”

“But all of us can do our best to live up to the American values of service, responsibility, generosity, and citizenship that you helped defend,” he added.

In the U.S., Veterans Day was originally called “Armistice Day,” to commemorate the end of World War I, but Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance. November 11 each year became a national holiday beginning in 1938, with this year’s official observance on Monday since the actual date fell on a weekend this year.