Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day.  Why is today Veteran’s Day? I mean, why November 11^th?

Well, since you asked, major hostilities of World War I ended at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month of 1918 when Germany signed the Armistice.  For years this holiday was known as Armistice Day.  But in 1953, an Emporia, Kansas store owner named Alfred King began a campaign to change the name so that all veterans would be recognized and honored, not just those who served in WWI.  A law was pushed through Congress that this day should be a legal holiday, President Eisenhower signed it into law in May of 1954 and, in June of that year, Congress amended it to officially change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

I consider this to be an important holiday because we should honor and respect all those who sacrifice their lives in order to protect the rest of us from harm and danger. I have the freedoms inalienable to all Americans because someone else fought for them.

But I also find this to be a minor holiday.  It doesn’t get the recognition and prestige that other holidays seem to enjoy such as 4^th of July, Memorial Day or Labor Day.  It certainly is not on the level of Christmas, New Years or Easter. I was wondering this morning if this is my perception or if it is the general feeling of most people. So I paid attention to the news this morning and, other than the announcement that it is Veterans Day and the listing of the locations of parades, there didn’t seem to be that much made of it.  Even Mother’s Day and Father’s Day seem to get more recognition than Veterans Day.

I suppose that this all depends on your perspective.  If you are a military family that has been a military family for generations and you are active in the parades and celebration, then this is a big day for you.  Although many members of my family were in the military (my dad, brother, uncles, aunts, cousins), we aren’t at all what people would consider a military family.  So this holiday was not emphasized in my family at all. Just a day when the banks are closed and mail is not delivered.

All of this being said, I do want to say, with all my heart, that I deeply appreciate all that the veterans of this country have done for my family, my friends and me.  We have a pretty comfortable enjoyable life because of the sacrifice the veterans made to ensure our freedoms. Veterans deserve all the honor and respect we could possibly give them.