It was on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, during the 11th month of 1918 when peace was finally declared in “the war to end all wars.”  It was pronounced as Armistice Day.  In 1938, Armistice Day was enacted as an official American holiday but eventually, after World War II, citizens felt that the veterans of all wars should be recognized, not just those of World War I.  So, in 1954 Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day and today the anniversary celebrates all U.S. military veterans with parades and ceremonies from coast-to-coast.

While we honor the nation’s military heroes who died during wartime on Memorial Day, Veterans Day is set aside to honor those gallant men and women who fought for our nation and survived the horrors of war only to return home with a variety of scars, both physically and mentally.  Today, Veterans Day is also poignant because our nation is at war in foreign lands that threaten our sons and daughters.  These young men and women are actively fighting for the national freedom of not only our nation but of nations who are depending on us for their very survival.

Today and every day, think of these extraordinary people who are deployed in “harm’s way” on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan, or stationed at military installations around the world, far away from the one’s they love.  Think of our military men and women on Thanksgiving or during the holidays; each one of them must face the day away from the warmth and love of their own family and depend on their military brothers and sisters for support.  They do so because they feel a deep obligation to all of us to maintain the freedoms that their parents and grandparents defended during their own military tours of duty.  Whether they experienced battle at Verdun during World War I, Iwo Jima or the Battle of the Bulge at Ardennes in World War II, Pork Chop Hill in Korea, Khe Sanh in Vietnam, the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq or The Battle for Mazar-i Sharif in Afghanistan; veterans have laid their precious time and their very lives on the line in defense of freedom around the world.  They are to be honored, not just today but every day.

While not so much a custom today as it was in the past, you just might see people selling poppies in front of grocery stores and retails centers on Veterans Day.  It has always been traditional to sell poppies because these simple flowers grew over the grave sites on the Western Front in Europe after World War I and they soon became a symbol associated with Veterans. 

During the 1920’s, people began selling paper poppies made to look llike the rell poppy which financially helped ex-servicemen and their families.  Today, these donations help build housing for seniors and support groups such as Meals-on-Wheels.  People also buy them to show their support for our military members and their families.  So, if you see someone selling them on Veterans Day, help out if you can and wear your poppy proudly. 

If you are a military veteran, I thank you for your service.  If you should meet one of our military heroes on the street, take an extra moment to shake their hand and tell them they are appreciated for their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families in the defense of freedom.  Observe Veterans Day with the proper perspective this year; proud of our military vets and proud of our unique nation; a nation that our military has kept free since its founding so many years ago.

Thank you to all our Veterans!