At precisely 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, a bugler played "Taps" to commemorate the final hour of World War I as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden laid a wreath at Arlington Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The site where more than 40,000 military veterans and family members are interred was just one of the many places in Washington D.C. and the U.S. where Americans honored the country's 23 million veterans on Veterans Day.

Like Us on Facebook

Calling U.S. veterans "the most tested of all Americans," Biden told the hundreds of visitors to Arlington Tuesday, many of  whom were veterans, that "You are not only the heart and soul but you are the very spine of this nation."

President Barack Obama issued a proclamation from China where he was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, saying, "We will never forget the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice and all those who have not returned home."

Obama said his last two years in office would include more work to end veteran homelessness while promoting better healthcare and educational access for vets.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel attended a Vietnam Veterans Memorial event while a three-hour "Concert for Valor" took place on the National Mall.

Hundreds of thousands of people attended the concert headlined by Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna, also featuring Eminem, Carrie Underwood, the Zac Brown Band, Metallica and actors Jamie Foxx and Bryan Cranston. Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith appeared through previously recorded videos. HBO was scheduled to televise the concert.

Many people tend to confuse Veterans day with Memorial Day, which occurs on the final Monday in May. Memorial Day dates back to 1868 and honors war dead while Veterans Day honors all who served in the military.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 to be Veterans Day, one year after the armistice ending World War I. Congress ratified a 1938 bill declaring the day a federal holiday honoring veterans and world peace. The law was amended by Congress in 1954 to honor all veterans and with it the name was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

Tagsveterans day 2014, Military, World War I, vietnam war, Joe Biden, memorials, arlington cemetery, Memorial Day, World War II