“No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.” That now famous quote is attributed to the colorful General George S. Patton. When you think about it there is a lot of truth in what he said. Unfortunately it’s also easier said than done. The cold, hard facts are, in wars people die.
Today, November 11th is Veterans Day, a day we have put aside to honor those American men and woman, both living and dead, who have or still are serving in our Armed Forces. It is a day of remembering; a day of reverence and a day we say “thank you” to all of those who defend our country.
The reason Veterans days in The United States, Europe and Great Briton is celebrated on November 11th is November 11th is the day all hostilities ended in World War I. At precisely 11 a.m., November 11, 1918, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
In America, November 11th officially became known as Armistice Day through an act of Congress in 1926. However it wasn’t until some 12 years later, through a similar act of Congress that Armistice Day actually became a national holiday.
In 1947 Congressman Edward H. Rees of Kansas introduced legislation to change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to honor all veterans who have served the United States in all wars.
In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, issuing a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration, which is now called the Department of Veterans Affairs, to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day.
In Washington at exactly 11 a.m. on each November 11th, a color guard, made up of members from each of the military branches, renders honors to America’s war dead in an emotional ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.
During the ceremony the President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb as a bugler sounds Taps.
Most of us have served or know someone who is serving or has served in our Armed Forces. Unfortunately some of us know someone who has served and did not come back. It is important that we remember all of them and thank them for the sacrifices they have made and will make to keep America safe.
In my article, “The Cost of Freedom” I included a poem by LTCD. Kelly Strong USCG(Ret.) I would like to include it here again.
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He’d stand out in any crowd.
I thought… how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers’ tears?
How many pilots’ planes shot down
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves
No, Freedom is not Free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant “Amen”
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands.
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No. Freedom is not Free!
So the next time you see a veteran or an active duty serviceman or woman thank them for a job well done. They certainly deserve it. Happy Veterans Day everyone.
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