III 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 159
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
OCTOBER 1, 2003
Received and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Declaring Emporia, Kansas, to be the founding city of the 
Veterans Day holiday and recognizing the contributions 
of Alvin J. King and Representative Ed Rees to the 
enactment into law of the observance of Veterans Day.
Whereas in 1953, Alvin J. King of Emporia, Kansas, pro-
posed that Armistice Day be changed to Veterans Day to 
recognize and honor all veterans from all wars and con-
flicts; 
Whereas in 1953, Veterans Day was first organized and cele-
brated in Emporia, Kansas;
HCON 159 RFS 
Whereas although Alvin King was only 15 years old when the 
United States went to war in 1917 and never served in 
the Armed Forces, he had a deep respect for veterans; 
Whereas Alvin King’s stepson, John Cooper, whom he had 
raised, was killed in action in Belgium during World War 
II while serving with Rifle Company B, 137th Infantry 
Regiment; 
Whereas after World War II, Alvin King developed friend-
ships with the surviving members of Rifle Company B, 
137th Infantry Regiment; 
Whereas in the early 1950s, Alvin King suggested either cre-
ating a special day to honor all veterans or adapting Ar-
mistice Day so that it was dedicated to all veterans since, 
at that time, Armistice Day honored the veterans of 
World War I; 
Whereas by 1953, the community of Emporia, Kansas, had 
raised enough money to send Alvin King and his wife, 
Gertrude, to Washington, D.C. to garner support for an 
official veterans day; 
Whereas Alvin King had a friend and supporter in Represent-
ative Ed Rees of Emporia, Kansas, who was strongly in 
favor of King’s idea and said ‘‘it would give the holiday 
a new meaning and more widespread patriotic observ-
ance’’; 
Whereas on June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 
who was raised in Kansas, signed into law the Act pro-
claiming November 11 as Veterans Day (Public Law 380 
of the 83rd Congress); 
Whereas on October 8, 1954, President Eisenhower issued a 
presidential proclamation concerning Veterans Day in 
1954 in which he stated, ‘‘On that day let us solemnly
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remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so val-
iantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to 
preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate 
ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so 
that their efforts shall not have been in vain’’; and 
Whereas the first nationwide observance of Veterans Day was 
on November 11, 1954: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress hereby—
(1) encourages Americans to demonstrate their 
support for veterans on Veterans Day by treating 
that day as a special day of remembrance; 
(2) declares Emporia, Kansas, to be the found-
ing city of Veterans Day; 
(3) recognizes Alvin J. King, of Emporia, Kan-
sas, as the founder of Veterans Day; and 
(4) recognizes that Representative Ed Rees, of 
Emporia, Kansas, was instrumental in the efforts to 
enact into law the observance of Veterans Day.
Passed the House of Representatives September 30, 
2003. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.