Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Thank you, veterans.
It's that simple.
Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and a time to thank everyone still alive for serving our country in a war.
We will honor our dead soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines on Memorial Day, which is May 30 next year.
The federal holiday began in November of 1919 as President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day.
The fighting in World War I, "the war to end all wars," stopped in the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – Nov. 11. The war actually ended on June 28, 1919, with the Treaty of Versailles.
Like Congress today, the Legislature took seven years to officially recognize the end of World War I when passing a resolution to recognize the day as a legal federal holiday.
"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," the resolution from June 4, 1926 reads.
In 1938, Congress did it again in an act to declare Armistice Day as "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace." It was primarily to honor the people serving the U.S. during World War I then the word "armistice" was dropped and "veterans" was added.
In 1954, Nov. 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. It was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Veterans Day is "A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good," according to the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
What started as a day to honor World War I troops evolved into honoring our surviving veterans of all wars.
They survived. They faced the same challenges and dangers, but they came home. Some came home broken and in need of our help, physically as well as emotionally.
We should be taking care of them every day, showing our gratitude. And they deserve one day a year to be fawned over and cheered for their service. They deserve parades, being honored at events, and being allowed to feel the appreciation of a country they served.
Death should not be a prerequisite to being honored for service.
Veterans have given to all of us with their service, and there is an additional value in spending time with them. They are witnesses to history. Not just words and photos in a book or on a website. When they can share their experiences it puts a human face on what they endured, the losses of their brethren, and perspectives of people who were there.
You can read about concentration camps, but to listen to a soldier who liberated one is to better understand the depravity and evil inflicted on others. Every war has its moments. Every veteran of wars lived through them. They know what it looked like, how it felt, how it smelled, how it affected them.
It's easy to be a pessimist about wars, but the politics are irrelevant when talking to a veteran. They served and did what they had to do regardless of how history recorded it. They may have disagreed on the reason to go to war too, but they still followed orders. They survived.
Next week several events are set to honor veterans. Take part if you can. If you can't, try to find a veteran and thank them. If you can't find one, consider a donation to a charity helping veterans. They deserve our thanks, respect, and care.
They served us, our country, and some came home still paying the price.
Bill Stevenson is the former editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He has nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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