Today is Veterans Day. To anyone who has ever served America, I extend my deepest thanks.
This Veterans Day lands on 11/11/11, a number of particular symbolic importance.
November 11th is the day fighting ceased on the western front, effectively ending World War I combat. The armistice, signed at 5:00 AM on Nov 11th, 1918, was set to go into effect on “The eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month.” 11/11/11
It is for this reason that many people worldwide observe a 2-minute moment of silence at 11 AM on November 11th. These two minutes symbolize the 20 million casualties of WWI.
President Woodrow Wilson established Armistice Day on November 11th, 1919 to commemorate all the soldiers who fought in the war. In 1938 the date became recognized as a legal holiday, dedicated to the cause of world peace and remembrance of WWI soldiers. In 1954 the day was officially renamed Veterans day and expanded to the remembrance of all veterans.
Of the 68,000,000 WWI veterans, only 1 is alive today. Her name is Florence Green and she joined the Women’s Royal Air Force in 1918 at the age of 17. She resides Norfolk, England.
Peace is a strange thing because it is only through violence that peace is maintained. In an ideal world there is no conflict, no war, no fighting. Our world is not ideal. Our world requires soldiers with guns to protect the sovereignty of our nation. To the servicemen and women who provide that protection, I salute you.