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SALUTING ALL VETERANS Veteran's Day, annually on November
11th
Story and Photos by
Vivienne Mackie, (with thanks to Mackie family for picture of
Rod
Mackie Snr in the North African desert)
All over the world you will find memorials
to those who have fought and died in various wars at different times
in history. Some are small, some big, some are local, some national.
You will see them in village squares, along roadsides, on hilltops,
or carved into hillsides. Some are
plain, some are very intricate. You'll find monuments, statues, stone
columns, special gravestones, and museums. All of them have the same
purpose—to remember and to honor the local or country people who fought
in wars. Many countries also have special days to commemorate their
veterans, war dead and war heroes. Here I focus on one such day—Veterans
Day—understanding that similar ceremonies or days are important in
other countries too.
Veterans Day is an annual federal holiday
in the USA, honoring all veterans, both living and dead, of all wars.
(On a Federal holiday, public offices and schools are closed).
This observance began as ARMISTICE DAY,
which was started by the USA, Great Britain and France to commemorate
the ending of World War 1 (WW1) in November 1918. World War 1 officially
ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended
7 months earlier with the signing of the Armistice (or Peace Agreement),
which went into effect in a railroad car in a forest in France on the
11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th
month of 1918. At that time the guns of WW1 finally fell silent all
across Europe and a 4-year war was over.
Armistice Day, as November 11th
became known, officially became a holiday in the USA in 1926 and a national
holiday 12 years later in 1938. On June 1st, 1954, after
the Korean War, the name was changed to Veterans Day by President Eisenhower,
to honor all veterans, from all branches of the Armed Forces from all
wars.
In Canada it became known as REMEMBRANCE
DAY, and in Great Britain the Sunday nearest November 11th
is called REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY in honor of the people who died in both
World Wars. In some British Commonwealth countries it is also known
as POPPY DAY, as red paper poppies, and sometimes fresh poppies, are
given to the public to pin on their clothes, in return for money donations
towards services for veterans. Poppies, beautiful red flowers, came
to symbolize death after WW1. During that war, many soldiers fought
and died in Europe, and every spring red poppies flowered on European
battlefields where thousands of soldiers had fallen and died.
Veterans Day is generally not a day
for parties, nor do people eat special food. Instead, they watch Veterans
Day parades and go to special public ceremonies. Many people also go
to cemeteries on this day and put flowers on veterans' graves.
In Washington, D.C., the US capital,
there are a number of significant war memorials. Try to visit them all
if you are there, as they are all a moving tribute to brave people.
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS
Americans bury many veterans in Arlington
National Cemetery in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington,
D.C.
The official national ceremonies for
Veterans Day center around the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington. Four
unknown soldiers are buried in this tomb: in 1921 an unknown American
soldier was placed here, and in 1932 the monument was opened to the
public; in 1958, two more were buried here, one from World War 2, the
other from the Korean War; and in 1984 a soldier from the Vietnam War
was placed here. (It should be noted that the soldier from the Vietnam
War is no longer unknown, due to special DNA testing).
To honor these men, symbolic of all
Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army Honor Guard—the
3rd US Infantry (the Old Guard)—keeps day and night vigil.
At 11 am on November 11th, a combined guard executes a "Present
Arms". In addition, the nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized
by the laying of a presidential wreath and the playing of the Taps (a
special signal by bugle or drum).
The Inscription on the Tomb of the Unknowns
reads:
Here Rests in
Honored Glory
An American
Soldier
Known But to God.
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
On Veterans Day, 1982, a special memorial
in Washington, D.C., was dedicated to soldiers who had fought and died
in the Vietnam War. The memorial is a huge wall of polished black granite,
and is usually called just "The Wall". The names of all the American
men and women in the American armed forces who fought and died in Vietnam—almost
60,000—are chiseled into the wall. The Vietnam Women's Memorial,
near "The Wall", was dedicated November 11th, 1993.
Many of the US states also have a Vietnam
War Memorial, often at the State Capitol or in an official cemetery.
Also in Washington, D.C., this memorial
was opened in April 2004. It is dedicated to the 16 million who fought
in WW2, the more than 400,000 who died, and to all who supported the
war at home. Like the other memorials, it is run by the National Park
Service. See www.wwiimemorial.com
KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL
This consists of 19 huge, life-like
statues, and was dedicated in July 1995.
This appears to be an ongoing debate.
Many people alive today have either served in the Armed Forces, or have
family members or friends who have served or are currently serving.
At the moment the world is not a very secure place, and a number of
tragic wars are being waged, with resultant bodily injuries and loss
of life. It seems to me that we should all ponder these wars, and say
a special thanks to those great folks who leave home to go and fight.
Pete Seeger, a famous American folksinger,
political activist and author, wrote the song 'Where Have All the
Flowers Gone?" in 1955 (with the idea from an old Ukrainian folk song).
It laments the passing of so many, and the continuing passing because
humankind doesn't seem to be learning a lesson from these wars.
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JustSayGO Travel Show
SALUTING ALL VETERANS
All over the world you will find memorials
to those who have fought and died in various wars at different times
in history. Some are small, some big, some are local, some national.
You will see them in village squares, along roadsides, on hilltops,
or carved into hillsides. Some are
plain, some are very intricate. You'll find monuments, statues, stone
columns, special gravestones, and museums. All of them have the same
purpose—to remember and to honor the local or country people who fought
in wars. Many countries also have special days to commemorate their
veterans, war dead and war heroes. Here I focus on one such day—Veterans
Day—understanding that similar ceremonies or days are important in
other countries too. 
This observance began as ARMISTICE DAY,
which was started by the USA, Great Britain and France to commemorate
the ending of World War 1 (WW1) in November 1918. World War 1 officially
ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended
7 months earlier with the signing of the Armistice (or Peace Agreement),
which went into effect in a railroad car in a forest in France on the
11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th
month of 1918. At that time the guns of WW1 finally fell silent all
across Europe and a 4-year war was over.
In Canada it became known as REMEMBRANCE
DAY, and in Great Britain the Sunday nearest November 11th
is called REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY in honor of the people who died in both
World Wars. In some British Commonwealth countries it is also known
as POPPY DAY, as red paper poppies, and sometimes fresh poppies, are
given to the public to pin on their clothes, in return for money donations
towards services for veterans. Poppies, beautiful red flowers, came
to symbolize death after WW1. During that war, many soldiers fought
and died in Europe, and every spring red poppies flowered on European
battlefields where thousands of soldiers had fallen and died.
Americans bury many veterans in Arlington
National Cemetery in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington,
D.C.
On Veterans Day, 1982, a special memorial
in Washington, D.C., was dedicated to soldiers who had fought and died
in the Vietnam War. The memorial is a huge wall of polished black granite,
and is usually called just "The Wall". The names of all the American
men and women in the American armed forces who fought and died in Vietnam—almost
60,000—are chiseled into the wall. The Vietnam Women's Memorial,
near "The Wall", was dedicated November 11th, 1993. 
This appears to be an ongoing debate.
Many people alive today have either served in the Armed Forces, or have
family members or friends who have served or are currently serving.
At the moment the world is not a very secure place, and a number of
tragic wars are being waged, with resultant bodily injuries and loss
of life. It seems to me that we should all ponder these wars, and say
a special thanks to those great folks who leave home to go and fight.