Veterans Day Crossword Puzzle

Print a criss-cross vocabulary crossword for Veterans Day: the armistice of 1918, the six armed forces, ranks and thank-yous.

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Veterans Day Crossword

Read each clue and write the answer in the squares that start at its number, one letter in each square.

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  • Armistice
  • Army
  • Eleven
  • Honor
  • Medal
  • Navy
  • November
  • Parade
  • Peace
  • Salute
  • Uniform
  • Veteran

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Answer key: Veterans Day Crossword

1N2AVYR3S4MEDALYL5PEACEUA6VETERA7N8UEAO9HONORDVI10ELEVENFMOB11ARMISTICEMR

Across 1 NAVY · 4 MEDAL · 5 PEACE · 6 VETERAN · 9 HONOR · 10 ELEVEN · 11 ARMISTICE

Down 2 ARMY · 3 SALUTE · 5 PARADE · 7 NOVEMBER · 8 UNIFORM

Next step Print the Memorial Day crosswordFind Veterans Day words in a word search

All 121 clues

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The Day and Its History 24

  • Alabama State where the day for all who served was first kept nationally, in 1947
  • Anniversary The 100th one of the 1918 cease-fire came in 2018
  • Apostrophe Punctuation mark that the official spelling of the holiday leaves out
  • Armistice Old name of the holiday: ___ Day
  • Birmingham Southern home city of Raymond Weeks, called the father of the holiday
  • Congress It changed the holiday's name by law on June 1, 1954
  • Eleven Number that names the hour, the day and the month of the 1918 cease-fire
  • Emporia Midwest town that held the first observance under the new name, in 1953
  • Federal Word for a law, a holiday or a worker of the whole United States
  • Germany Country that agreed to the 1918 cease-fire with the Allied nations
  • Great "The ___ War": what World War I was called at the time
  • Kansas Rees of ___ offered the 1954 law and Eisenhower of ___ signed it
  • Mail None arrives in the box on the holiday
  • Memorial ___ Day: the May holiday for those who died while serving
  • November Month the holiday falls in every year
  • October Month the holiday was moved to from 1971 to 1977
  • Original In 1978 the holiday went back to its ___ date
  • Peace Opposite of war
  • Proclamation Signed statement from a president that calls for a day to be kept
  • Railroad The 1918 cease-fire was signed in a ___ car in a forest
  • Remembrance ___ Day: what Canada calls the same date
  • Treaty Pact; the one dated June 28, 1919 officially closed World War I
  • Versailles Where the 1919 signing took place, seven months after the guns stopped
  • Weekend A 1968 law tried to make the holiday part of a three-day one

The Six Armed Forces 29

  • Air Force Branch of the sky, on its own since September 18, 1947
  • Airman Title for one who serves in the branch of the sky
  • Annapolis Maryland city beside the naval school
  • Army Branch on land since June 14, 1775
  • Cadet Trainee at West Point
  • Carrier Ship with a full-length flight deck: a seagoing airbase
  • Cavalry Troops who once rode into action; the word comes from the French for horse
  • Coast Guard Sea service that began with revenue cutters on August 4, 1790
  • Defense Department of ___: its headquarters sit across the Potomac from Washington
  • Faithful "Semper fidelis" means always ___
  • Fleet Largest formation of warships under one command
  • Guardian Title chosen for members of the newest branch
  • Helicopter Rotorcraft that can take off and land straight up and down
  • Infantry Foot troops, in one word
  • Marines Branch whose saying, Semper Fi for short, means always loyal
  • Medic Unit member with the first aid bag
  • Midshipman Student at the naval school in Maryland
  • Motto Short saying of a branch, such as Semper Paratus
  • Navy Sea branch, begun in the fall of 1775
  • Paratrooper One trained to jump from a plane into action
  • Pentagon Building with five ring corridors on each of its floors
  • Pilot Flier of a jet or a cargo plane
  • Reserve Force whose members hold everyday jobs but stay ready to be called
  • Sailor Crew member of a ship
  • Seabee Builder for the sea branch; the nickname sounds out C and B
  • Six Count of the country's armed forces since 2019
  • Soldier One who serves on land
  • Space Force Branch set up in 2019, with the saying Semper Supra
  • Submarine Craft that works beneath the waves, sub for short

Ranks and Units 22

  • Admiral High officer at sea; the word goes back to Arabic
  • Battalion Unit of up to about 1,000 troops
  • Captain Officer with a title also used for the leader of a ship or a team
  • Chevron Mark like a V, often turned point up
  • Colonel Title that English took from French but says the Spanish way
  • Commander Leader of a unit, a ship or a base
  • Convoy Protected line of supply trucks on the move
  • Corporal Usually the lowest non-commissioned officer
  • Ensign Junior officer whose title comes from an old French word for a flag
  • Epaulette Ornamental shoulder piece, often with a fringe
  • Garrison Body of troops stationed in one place
  • General High officer on land; Eisenhower was one before he was president
  • Insignia Badges and marks worn to show service and role
  • Lieutenant Officer whose title joins the French words for place and holding
  • Major Senior officer title that is also an everyday word for important
  • Platoon Unit typically made up of two to four smaller teams
  • Private Usually the bottom of the ladder among land troops
  • Quartermaster On land, the one who manages stores and hands out supplies
  • Rank A step on the ladder of authority
  • Sergeant Title also spelled with a j in some British units
  • Squad Among the smallest of units, led by a non-commissioned officer
  • Squadron Flying unit in the branch of the sky, or in sea or land aviation

Honoring Those Who Served 26

  • Anthem Song of a nation; the American words date from 1814
  • Arlington Burial ground named for the estate it was laid out on, begun May 13, 1864
  • Assembly All grades gathered in the gym, with flags and a speaker
  • Courage What it takes to face danger
  • Gratitude The 1919 message spoke of this "for the victory"
  • Guest Visitor who comes to tell the class about years of service
  • Handshake Firm grip of greeting, palm to palm
  • Honor What the day does for all who served, in a word
  • Interview Class project: asking a grandparent who served about those years
  • Legion American ___: organization founded in Paris in March 1919
  • Letter Envelope from a class, opened far from home
  • Medal Coin-like award with a design on its face
  • Parade Event with bands that has been part of the day since 1919
  • Patriotism Devotion to one's homeland
  • Pledge ___ of Allegiance
  • Poster Holiday art hung in the school hall
  • Pride "Solemn ___": words from the 1919 message for the first observance
  • Ribbon Slim band mounted on a small bar and worn on the chest
  • Sacrifice A dear thing given up for the sake of others
  • Salute Hand raised smartly to the brim of a cap
  • Silence Two minutes of it are suggested at 2:11 in the afternoon, Eastern time
  • Taps Call that signals lights out at the end of the day
  • Thanks Simple word said to a neighbor who served
  • Tomb Marble monument where an unknown American of World War I was laid to rest in 1921
  • Veteran Someone whose time in the service is done
  • Wreath Ring of blooms laid at a monument on the holiday

Life in the Service 20

  • Barracks Buildings where troops are housed
  • Beret Soft, round cap with a flat crown
  • Bill G.I. ___: 1944 law known for its education benefits
  • Boot ___ camp: nickname for basic training
  • Canteen Refillable bottle in a trooper's kit
  • Civilian Person who is not a member of any armed force
  • Code ___ talker: one who sent messages in a little-known language
  • Deployment Months of duty far from home
  • Discharge Formal release from the obligation to serve
  • Drill Marching practice, step by step in rows
  • Enlist To sign up to serve
  • Furlough Old word for a leave of absence
  • Mess ___ hall: where troops eat
  • Mission Job a unit is sent out to do
  • Oath Solemn words said with the right hand raised
  • Overseas Where a ship carries troops bound for another continent
  • Recruit One in the first weeks of service, learning the ropes
  • Reunion Old unit members meeting again years later
  • Reveille Call that wakes the camp at sunrise; the word is French for wake up
  • Uniform Standard dress worn by every member of a unit

How this list was compiled: Clues written for this site for grades 3 to 8, in five sets: the history of the day, the six armed forces, ranks and units, honoring those who served, and life in the service. Dates and names were checked against the History of Veterans Day page of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (department.va.gov) and English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) in October 2026. Licence: own work

How it works

This Veterans Day crossword puzzle prints on Letter or A4, answer key included. The first puzzle has 12 words with a word bank, among them Veteran, Armistice, Salute, Parade, Honor, November and Eleven, the number of the hour, the day and the month.

Read the full guide

Five sets after the basics

The Day and Its History has Versailles, Proclamation, Emporia and Apostrophe. The Six Armed Forces has Coast Guard, Space Force, Guardian and Seabee. Ranks and Units has Sergeant, Colonel, Chevron and Platoon. Honoring Those Who Served has Wreath, Silence, Gratitude and Legion. Life in the Service has Reveille, Furlough, Barracks and Canteen.

Dates a class can check

Clues carry the dates of the day: the cease-fire of 1918, the first observance in 1919, the new name on June 1, 1954, the years 1971 to 1977 in October, and the founding dates of the Army and the Air Force.

  • No weapon and no battle is an answer, so every set suits a school assembly week.

Questions and answers

Is there a free printable Veterans Day crossword puzzle PDF?

Yes. Press Print and choose Save as PDF in the print window. The file holds the puzzle, its clues and the answer key. It is free, with no sign-up.

Are there printable Veterans Day crossword puzzles for middle school?

Yes. The five themed sets suit grades 5 to 8, with answers such as Proclamation, Lieutenant and Quartermaster. Veterans Day Basics, with its word bank, suits grades 3 to 5. These bands are our judgment, not a published standard.

What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Veterans Day thanks all who have served in the United States Armed Forces and falls on November 11. Memorial Day, in May, remembers those who died while in military service.

Why is there no apostrophe in Veterans Day?

The Department of Veterans Affairs spells it without one because the day does not belong to veterans: it is a day for honoring all of them. Apostrophe is an answer in the history set.

Why is Veterans Day on November 11?

The fighting of World War I stopped at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. The date was kept as Armistice Day and renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

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