Thank You. – IOTW Report

Thank You.

Friday, 11 November 2016, 11:00 MJA Uncategorized 23

You are loved and appreciated.

 

PublicHolidays.US: Originally, Veterans Day was called “Armistice Day,” and the date was chosen to commemorate the signing of the armistice with Germany that ended hostilities during World War I.

The armistice, signed on November 11th, 1918, did not officially end that war, however. That came on June 28th, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. On the other hand, since the U.S. never signed the Treaty of Versailles like the other Allies, one could say that for the U.S. at least, the November 11th armistice really did end the war.

At first, the focus of Armistice Day was on the veterans of World War I, though it was always meant to honor all veterans of foreign wars, who risked their lives on the battle field to secure the freedoms of all Americans. Over time, with the passing away of the World War I generation and the coming of new conflicts during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, the focus on the 1918 Armistice was lost and the name of the holiday was changed. Additionally, today, Veterans Day is generally regarded as honoring all those who ever served in the U.S. Armed Force rather than only those who actually fought in a war.

In 1919, the first celebration of Armistice Day took place, with Britain and the Allied nations of World War I all observing the day. Business as usual was briefly interrupted at 11am, the time when the armistice was signed with Germany. There were also parades and patriotic gatherings, and red poppies were put on display in many British Commonwealth countries.

Another development took place in 1926, when Congress finally decided to declare that World War I was over. It was odd for this recognition of an existing reality to come seven years late, but without the U.S. agreeing to the Treaty of Versailles, there had been no official end to the war. Congress also made November 11th a day of prayer and thanksgiving and expressed a desire that the U.S. flag be on display during this day and that special ceremonies be held.

Finally, in 1938, Armistice Day became a permanent, official public holiday. Eerily enough, the holiday designed to honor World War I veterans became official only a few years before World War II arrived. The next stage in the history of Veterans Day came in 1954, when it received its present name. Congress made the change when pressed to do so by various private veterans organizations.

A debacle involving Veterans Day came in 1971, when Congress changed the date from November 11th to the fourth Monday in October. This led to chaos because many states refused to recognize the change. Some would be celebrating in November while others did so in October, and the resistance to the date change never broke down. Finally, the date was changed back to November 11th beginning in 1978.

Another interesting Veterans Day “conflict” involves a matter of grammar and spelling. Today, many people spell the holiday as “Veterans’ Day,” but the official government-approved spelling is “Veterans Day.“ The explanation given is that the adjectival spelling instead of the possessive-case spelling shows that the holiday is about honoring veterans rather than a day that belongs to them.

Many observe Veterans Day by simply flying the U.S. flag at their house, having a picnic or cook out with friends and family, and watching war movies or other patriotic programming on TV. Many also donate to veterans’ causes and show appreciation to veterans they meet or are already acquainted with, and some veterans will don their military uniforms on this day, making themselves “easy to spot.”

Four ideas on what to do in the U.S. on Veterans Day are:

  • Attend, or at least watch on television, the Veterans Day commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. You can watch the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You may also wish to respectfully walk through the cemetery, where over 40,000 veterans and their families are buried.
  • Watch America’s Parade, originally “the Veterans Day Parade,” in New York City. This is the largest Veterans Day parade in the country, bringing in around 25,000 attendees each year. It is held in Manhattan and has been running since 1919. There are also some other large parades to attend, including the biggest one west of the Mississippi River in Albany, Oregon, and there are many smaller parades as well.
  • Tour the memorials and monuments in Washington, D.C., that are related in some way to veterans. There are too many to list, but look for the DC War Memorial, which honors local World War I veterans, the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
  • Spend the day, or part of it, volunteering at a local VA hospital or even just chatting with veterans who are there as patients. Many VAs will have special lunches on Veterans Day for the veterans, and they welcome volunteers to help prepare the meal.

Veterans Day is an important time to remember those who risked their lives to defend the freedom of others, and you will find there are many festive and patriotic activities to take part.

 

SNIP:

Veterans Day Giving Back Programs

 

23 Comments on Thank You.

  4. I’ve always believed that while these brave men and women survived hostilities, they were WILLING to die for country and freedom. That, too, should be honored and appreciated.

  5. Be sure to buy a “Buddy” Poppy today. Proceeds go to Veterans of Foreign Wars Assistance Programs.

    “In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” ~M. Twain

    I raise my glass to all those warriors who came before and all those to follow. You have my undying gratitude. “Aim High…Fly-Fight-Win.”

  13. Thank you veterans for standing up for America.

    Those of you who suffered under 0bama, instead of a commander in chief, thank you for putting up with that asshole and keeping us safe.

  16. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Thank you for the support.

    “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.” – General George Washington, November 10th, 1781

  20. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

    Thank you Lord for giving humanity those brave men who fought to bring back and preserve Your given freedoms. Amen.

  21. To BFH, MJA, Moe Tom, and all the others – I appreciate the sentiments here. And never in the last 41 years since I got out have I felt it was time wasted. I was honored to serve.

  22. @Navigator – You are of course quite right.

    Perhaps the problem is that some govt jerk wanted to feel more important and so made the Coast Guard part of Homeland Security instead of Defense. One would think that defending the coast would be, um, defense.

    Just to make matters more confusing, there are two other govt executive departments that commission officers: HHS has the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and Commerce has the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

    Seems like they’re watering down something important.

  23. YW. 10 years Army. Recently found this site, kinda makes it all worthwhile now. Back in the day I was out with my buddies in camo, and this beret-wearing Wesleyan student came up to us and called us babykillers. I said “I think you have us mistaken, ma’am, we’re just defending your right to be an asshole!”

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