This Wednesday is Veterans Day, a time to honor everyone who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Whether in war or in peacetime, each veteran deserves our thanks and respect.
Before it was Veterans Day, Nov. 11 was known as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Allied nations and Germany agreed to an armistice, a cessation of hostilities in what was then called the Great War. The war did not officially end until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, but the guns fell silent on that November morning, and the date has been etched in our national memory ever since.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day observance, saying, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”
World War I was supposed to be “the war to end all wars,” but it was not. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation renaming the holiday Veterans Day, so that it would honor veterans of World War II and the Korean War, as well as those of all future conflicts. Today, it also recognizes those who served in peacetime.
This year, a nationwide moment of silence will be observed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Locally, Larned will hold a parade, and veterans will be honored in communities across the country.
Veterans Day reminds us that everyone who has worn the uniform faced challenges of their own. Some endured long deployments, missing birthdays, graduations and other irreplaceable moments with their families. For some, the physical and emotional toll was heavy. Some gave their lives.
Many veterans came home and became leaders in our communities as teachers, health care providers, business owners and first responders. Others returned to quiet lives with little or no recognition. Veterans Day is our chance to change that, by reflecting on the freedoms we enjoy because of their service and acknowledging what each veteran has contributed.
To all who have served: thank you.
Susan Thacker is a co-managing editor at the Great Bend Tribune. Contact her at sthacker@gbtribune.com.
