President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will lead the United States in marking Veterans Day on Wednesday, 11 November, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where the President will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

According to the White House schedule for the day, the President and the First Lady will arrive at the cemetery in the morning and take part in the 2026 National Veterans Day Wreath Laying Ceremony at 11:00 a.m. The President will then deliver Veterans Day remarks at 11:30 a.m. before returning to the White House.

Veterans Day is observed every year on 11 November, the anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the First World War. It is a federal holiday honouring everyone who has served in the United States Armed Forces, in wartime and in peacetime, living and deceased. Federal offices close for the day, there is no regular postal delivery, and ceremonies and parades take place in cities and towns across the country.

Trump proclaims Veterans Day 2026

On Tuesday, 10 November, the President signed a proclamation formally declaring 11 November 2026 as Veterans Day, calling on Americans to reflect on the fearlessness and sacrifice of veterans through public ceremonies and private thoughts and prayers of gratitude.

The proclamation said that for more than 250 years the liberties and freedoms of every American have been safeguarded by the men and women who served in the Armed Forces, and it recommitted the administration to strengthening the support and resources veterans have earned.

VA claims backlog cut by more than 70 percent

The proclamation also set out the administration’s record on veterans’ services. It said the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) processed a record 3.1 million disability claims this year and that the VA’s claims backlog has been cut by more than 70 percent in the President’s second term.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, speaking ahead of Veterans Day, said the benefits backlog has fallen nearly 70 percent since January 2025 and that claims processing wait times have dropped 46 percent, while the department processed a record 3.1 million claims last year.

The proclamation added that 47 new VA health care facilities have been opened, expanding access to care for veterans in communities across the country, and that an executive order signed in September is accelerating veterans’ access to benefits and employment opportunities through modernised data management and sharing between the VA and the Department of War.

Focus on homeless veterans

Housing for veterans featured prominently in the proclamation. The President said no one who has worn the nation’s uniform should ever be homeless, and pointed to the National Center for Warrior Independence, established last year with a goal of housing up to 6,000 homeless veterans by 2028.

According to the proclamation, nearly 52,000 homeless veterans were housed last year, the most in seven years. The President said he would keep fighting until every veteran has the housing and mental health support and treatment they need.

Secretary Collins is due to join the President and Vice President JD Vance at Arlington National Cemetery for the wreath laying and the remembrance event at the cemetery’s amphitheatre. Across the United States, veterans’ organisations are holding parades and ceremonies, and many restaurants and retailers are offering free meals and discounts to veterans and active-duty service members.

Sources: The White House and Newsmax.