Six
years ago, I wrote a post in recognition of
Veteran’s Day, and the service personnel we as a nation honor on that day. In
2009, as is the case this year, Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, and as such,
the stars aligned perfectly for this week’s blog. As our nation continues to
grapple with conflict overseas, I decided to edit/re-post the Veteran’s Day
2009 Edition of “Break It Down!”
It’s worth noting that while our fighting forces
officially exited Iraq in December 2011, we still have military personnel
there. Our forces are expected to leave Afghanistan (the other hotspot
referenced in the initial post) by 2016. Also, for the record, we have a
variety of personnel in Iran, Syria, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Pakistan, the
Philippines, and Yemen…lest you think the world is a peaceful place.
Enjoy your day, and if you have yet to take the
opportunity to thank a Veteran, reach out and do so at some point today. Moreover,
for my part, to all of you who are Veterans, “Thank you for your service.”
Many
of you know, or at least faintly recall that I frequently alter the blog format
to integrate holiday traditions into the discussion. Often holidays are
expanded by days away from work, long weekends, travel, and a host of leisure
activities. In those cases, I prefer to scale back in recognition that aside
from road map directions, GPS instructions, and the like, very little reading
will be taking place.
As
most Americans know, today is Veterans Day. At a time when the United
States is engaged in twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
working fervently to ease tensions in a trio of other hot spots, including Pakistan,
Iran, and North Korea, American service men and women are
regularly front and center. The unfathomable horror visited upon soldiers at Fort
Hood, Texas last week makes the value and vulnerability of one of our
greatest resources resonate even more palpably. But what
do we really know about this day that has been set aside to honor real American
heroes and sheroes?
Well,
first, Veterans Day is not Memorial Day, and vice-versa.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is
intended largely to honor Living veterans for their service, to
acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated,
and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died
– have sacrificed and done their duty. Memorial Day honors those
veterans who died in the service of their country, particularly those killed in
combat, or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.
We
also know that Veterans Day is a different kind of federal holiday. With
the exception of Sundays, it falls on its actual date. In 1968, Congress
approved the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law, which took effect in 1971,
amended the observance of certain federal holidays so that Washington’s
Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day
would be observed on Mondays instead of fixed dates.
Congress passed the Act to increase the
number of three-day holiday weekend for federal employees. After a loud and
persistent outcry from Veterans and Veterans’ groups, who argued the historical
significance of November 11th was compromised by the change, Veterans Day
observance was returned to November 11th in 1978.
So
how did this affinity for November 11th come about? As with many
historical facts, it evolved. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day.
The significance of Armistice Day is that it was the day of the signing
of the Armistice that terminated World War I (WW I). In effect, WW
I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
That was when the Germans signed the document, ending hostilities that
had begun in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently
proclaimed the first Armistice Day, November 11, 1919.
WW
I
was deemed The Great War, and was thought by many, at the time, to be “The
War That Ended All Wars.” It was, as the numeric designation suggests, the First World War. Of course, more
wars would ensue. There was World War II (WW II), later the Korean
Conflict, and then Vietnam.
In
1953, a storeowner in Emporia, Kansas, Al King, launched
an idea to honor all Veterans, not just those who served in WW I.
The idea took root, sailed through Congress, and President Dwight D.
Eisenhower signed it into law May 26, 1954. Congress amended
the Act November 8, 1954, changing Armistice to Veterans,
and thus it has been ever since.
So
today, especially around “The 11th Hour of This 11th Day of the 11th Month,” to augment a popular bumper sticker, “If
you can read this, thank a teacher…and a veteran!
I’m
done; holla back!
Read
my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.
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