Today in the U.S., we celebrate Veterans Day, which is a day to thank and honor all who have served in armed services, both past and present, in wartime or in peacetime.

Veterans Day is formerly known as Armistice Day, which was originally created to honor the end of World War I. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), “In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: ‘To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…’” Then in 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, a day to honor all U.S. veterans of all wars.

My President’s Page in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology discusses honoring those who have served with high quality cardiovascular care. John Rumsfeld, MD, PhD, FACC, national director of Cardiology, U.S. Veterans Health Administration, and a member of the ACC Board of Trustees and I discuss the evolution of the VA – the largest integrated health care system in the U.S. – which includes hundreds of cardiovascular professionals. Some identify the VA as “the highest quality health system in the U.S.,” and specifically in the cardiovascular arena, VA cardiology has developed widely acclaimed, innovative national programs, such as an active cardiac device surveillance system in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The ACC has long recognized the important role the VA plays in cardiovascular care and in recent years has moved to further strengthen the role of its VA, military, and public health sector members in college-wide activities. Today, VA clinicians serve on the ACC's Board of Governors and Board of Trustees and other national ACC committees, and, conversely, multiple FACC's have national leadership roles in the VA system. ACC.13 in San Francisco had several sessions designed specifically to bring together ACC members working within the VA, Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and public health sector to address challenges and opportunities unique to these groups.

So today, we thank and honor all who have served in armed services, including those serving in the VA system, and importantly, we should keep in mind that the U.S. health care system as a whole – including all cardiovascular clinicians and the ACC as an organization – shares the responsibility, and honor, of providing high quality care for our veterans.

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