At the Eleventh hour on the Eleventh day of the Eleventh month in 1918, hostilities ended in the Great War, the War to end all Wars, the one we know today as World War I.
President Woodrow Wilson declared Armistice Day the following year to commemorate the end of the war. We celebrated Armistice Day until 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed the commemoration to Veterans Day.
Today we honor those men and women who have fought for freedom in the armed services of the United States.
Let light perpetual shine upon those who died in the service of our country as well as those who have died since.
And we honor those who continue to live: Veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, Viet Nam (including my best man Mike Baldwin!), Somalia, Kosovo, the first Gulf War, and the mess we continue to fight currently, as well as all other conflicts we have been involved in. We also honor those Veterans who were lucky enough to serve in times of peace, especially Derek, who chose me his dad several years ago.
(Unfortunately we have devalued this day by declaring it a time to have special sales. Somehow the American way is about buying mattresses rather than honoring the lives of people who have served our country to keep our freedom.)
Thank you, Veterans, for your sacrifices. We honor you and appreciate your courage.
Click comments below to name those veterans you honor.
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1 comment:
Beautifully said, Bill. And I also find the commercialization of Veterans Day offensive. The day is meant for solemn reflection, not bargain hunting.
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