November 11th of this year marks the 90th anniversary of the very first Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day.
Armistice Day was originally designated to commemorate the end of the First World War, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month by General John “Black Jack” Pershing.
Pershing was the Supreme Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Over the ensuing decades the holiday became Veterans Day, to honor all of our veterans from all wars that our country participated in.
In retrospect, it is usually easy to spot a veteran as a civilian. Their stride is purposeful and they walk with confidence.
Their thoughts are focused and they display self-discipline.
They are thoughtful, kind and courteous. They appreciate Life because they have witnessed Death. My dad used to say that he thought all males should be drafted after high school before going off to college, as a rite of passage into manhood. I agree in retrospect.
I never had the honor of serving my country, although I came very close to being drafted in the waning days of the Vietnam War, thanks to the one time I was lucky in a (draft) lottery.
My family, like many others, had their share of veterans.
Pop-Pop, my maternal grandfather, was a doughboy in World War I, and was awarded the Purple Heart, among other medals. Pop-Pop was proud yet modest about the Purple Heart whenever I asked him to show it to me. His son, my Uncle Don, served in the Navy on destroyers, seeing action in both World War II and Korea.
My Uncle Jim from Atlanta served with the Marines in World War II, seeing action on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, among others. While these brave men fought in some of the bloodiest battles in history and were proud of their service, they never broadcast their participation in these heroic efforts.
They would only discuss them when I asked them, and even then it was through their self-imposed filters, to shield my young mind from the horrors of war.
World War II had just recently ended when the finest man I’ve ever known, my dad, graduated high school. He was immediately drafted and was sent to the Philippines as part of the Army’s occupational forces there.
He served with the Army’s Signal Corp, and I remember him giving me his Army patches one day when we came upon them in a box in the attic. Dad also kept his winter Army jacket, which he would wear at Christmastime when we would put the lights up outside. Once in a while he would tell me an old Army story; obviously nothing epic with a peacetime force, but his stories were always interesting and sometimes humorous.
We all-too-frequently forget the service these brave men, and women, gave to our country during their lives. But that service is poignantly brought back to us when we say good bye to them on this mortal plane. Their flag-draped caskets serve as visual reminders of their military service to us at their funerals.
The silent pride of their families, as the Stars and Stripes are meticulously folded and handed to their surviving loved ones, are memories that comfort us as time marches on. I can still see those ceremonies performed with the same reverence and dignity over the years at cemeteries for Pop-Pop, Uncle Don, Uncle Jim, and Dad.
And so, on this Veterans Day, we remember all of our veterans: Living and deceased, family, friends, and fellow countrymen, who served our nation in time of war and peace. We honor our colonial volunteers at Valley Forge, our Union soldiers at Gettysburg, our doughboys at Belleau Wood, our GIs at Normandy, our Korean vets at Inchon, our Vietnam vets at Saigon, and our Irag vets at Baghdad, to select just a few.
These men and women (as well as their families) gave so much to their country, many making the ultimate sacrifice.
We keep them in our thoughts and prayers today in deep gratitude for their service to keep our country free.
Bill Eggert can be reached at clarkkent-dailyplanet@gmx.com
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Bill Eggert | Remembering our veterans on Veterans Day
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