$0.00 donated so far. You can be the first to donate.
It does not have to be a lot; even a dollar can make a difference.
Posted on November 14, 2007 | Category: Events, History, News
Above is a poster provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans Day began as a commemoration of Armistice Day November, 11 1918. The armistice which occurred on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, ended what was then believed at the time to be the “the war to end all wars”. However, the war between Germany and the United States was not officially ended until the summer of 1921, because the United States had rejected the Treaty of Versailles. Additionally, an occupying force remained in Germany until January 24, 1923. WWI was widely looked upon at the time as the last Great War, although we of course now know it was only the first Great War; but what incredible irony that the Great War to end all wars has become the Great War to being all wars. I sincerely wish we would never again be so naive as to think that there can ever be an end to all wars, for as long as there are people there will be wars. WWI has showed us the tremendous dangers that can arise from globalization (an interconnected world wide society) when society moved out of homogenisation (a balance). As we see from The Great War it does not take much; the assignation of one person, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, led to a death toll somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million people. That is incredible that 20 million died on ,albeit, the indirect result of one person’s death. The only force that has been anywhere near as powerful as globalization throughout history is of course religion; and when we combine religion with golblization, as we see mixed in the equation today with islamofascism, we can just imagine the death toll which will arise from the next great war. Although, I sincerely hope the next great war will not involve the forces of Islamofascism; there is undeniable a powder keg in Middle East region similar to what existed before WWI, but today it is of course a nuclear powder keg.
On a more positive note, war has brought the opportunity for many selfless acts of heroism, although I would certainly never wish war for such opportunity. However, we do see in Ecclesiastes 3 there is a time to kill, a time to hate, and a time for war. To not hate of evil is not only stupid, but it is plain wrong. We must hate the oppression of the innocent, and must always act to alleviate the oppression.
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
When in the course of human affairs war becomes necessary to alleviate the suffering of the oppressed or protect liberty, many opportunity for patriotism comes. This opportunity is by no means limited to our troops alone. I am reminded of the WWII propaganda posters with questions such as: if we depended on your efforts would we win. The posters would advertise war bonds, or victory gardens, or state how many bombers being out of work might cost us. One particularly relevant one is one is when you drive alone you drive with Hitler.
This is particularly appropriate today when driving alone translates into more money spent on oil, much of which is in turn used to support Islamofascists killing our troops. Albeit they were conserving rubber from the tires, but it is still very relevant today. I speak to my shame and your shame that this county does not seem to be at war, despite the empty talk of the tolls this war is costing us in congress. We have no idea what it costs to win a war in this country today. The unwillingness to make sacrifices by many on the home font is astonishing. So much so that it would seem our troops are at war, and not us! Let us remember that we are all in this war on Islamofascism together, and that they drew fist blood! There is no question that they will continue to draw blood unless they are defeated, or we all convert to Islam. So I ask you if we depended on your efforts alone for victory, would we win? Are you today riding you car with Osama Bin Laden? Are you willing to make sacrifices to fund our military? They are certainly making great sacrifices for us.
Below is the proclamation commemorating Armistice Day made by President Woodrow Wilson made in November of the 1918:
“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 the 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…”
It would not be until 1954 that Veterans Day would become the official name for the holiday, in order to also commemorate and celebrate the sacrifices made by WWII veterans. A few years later The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
Veterans Day, 2007
Veterans Day, 1954
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
3071
Whereas it has long been our customs to commemorate November 11, the anniversary of the ending of World War I, by paying tribute to the heroes of that tragic struggle and by rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace; and
Whereas in the intervening years the United States has been involved in two other great military conflicts, which have added millions of veterans living and dead to the honor rolls of this Nation; and
Whereas the Congress passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926 (44 Stat. 1982), calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies, and later provided in an act approved May 13, 1938 (52 Stat. 351), that the eleventh of November should be a legal holiday and should be known as Armistice Day; and
Whereas, in order to expand the significance of that commemoration and in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation, the Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day:
Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.
I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.
In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to wish to join hands in the common purpose.
Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this eighth day of October in the Year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-ninth.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Reference:
Department of Veterans Affairs. History of Veterans Day. http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp.
Popularity: 29% [?]
Share This
Sphere: Related Content
» Filed Under Events, History, News
Leave a Reply