2025 Veterans Day Proclamation

WHEREAS, our state is home to more than 494,383 veterans, 56,000 active-duty military personnel, 16,000 National Guard and Reserves members, and their families; and

WHEREAS, those who have served in the Armed Forces have continuously made vital contributions and sacrifices to maintain our freedoms and way of life; and

WHEREAS, tens of millions of Americans have faithfully served in the United States Armed Forces over the past century; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of thousands of Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Armed Forces during this time; and

WHEREAS, our veterans understand the critical responsibilities carried by today's American service members; and

WHEREAS, our veterans exemplify bravery and selflessness, willingly putting themselves in harm's way to defend the lives and liberty of others; and

WHEREAS, our veterans continue to inspire us through their unwavering patriotism and enduring commitment to the ideals upon which the United States was founded; and

WHEREAS, all Washingtonians must strive to maintain a state and country worthy of the profound love our veterans have demonstrated; and

WHEREAS, more than a century ago, the guns of World War I fell silent at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and though the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war on June 28, 1919, it was November 11, 1918, that came to symbolize the end of "the war to end all wars;"

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bob Ferguson, governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim
November 11, 2025, as
Veterans Day
in Washington, and I urge all people in our state to acknowledge and honor the contributions of our veterans to the principles of democracy, individual freedom and human rights.

Signed this 5th day of November, 2025
Governor Bob Ferguson