At 11 o’clock in the morning, on the 11th day of the 11th month in the year of our Lord 1918, an armistice was reached and all hostilities of the “Great War” were suspended. The war to end all wars, or what is now more commonly known as World War I, officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 29, 1919. The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926. Armistice Day was declared a legal holiday in 1938 and set aside to honor the veterans of the war.
In 1954, after the Second World War had required the largest mobilization in our nation’s history, and after the fighting in the Korean conflict had reached a truce, President Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day proclamation. As a child I only knew November 11th as Armistice Day and one of my earliest memories was of the Great War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis between Meridian and Pennsylvania – not the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the Circle. Over the last one hundred years it has become clear that much of the world as we know it has been shaped by the Great War. It must have been a cartographer’s dream, since all the previous maps of the world were rendered obsolete. It could reasonably be argued that World War II was just the second chapter of the Great War- the war that changed the world…then Korea...then Indochina…now in the Middle East and other hot spots around the globe. Through all of these wars and conflicts, the presence of the American soldier is one of the constants. Many of our young men, and even our young women, have given the full measure of devotion to God and country. They have been involved on the land, on the sea and in the sky. We honor those who sacrificed their lives on Memorial Day, but on this Veteran’s Day we honor those who have survived the adversity of war – an experience that the rest of us can only imagine.
Ours is a country filled with a promise for tomorrow, because ours is a history shaped by heroes. The observance of Veterans Day should give us pause to recognize those among us who have placed themselves in harm’s way to preserve the blessings of liberty for us all. I have seen the veterans of three wars return home in my own lifetime. Some of these have born the scars of war on their bodies and others on their spirits, but all have returned to us changed for the rest of their lives. We owe these citizen soldiers our deepest thanks and profound respect for their service. Most of us have little contact with the scourge of war, save what we can observe on television or what is portrayed in films. We cannot imagine the piercing cold of Korea, the steaming jungles of Vietnam or the oven-like temperatures of the Middle East. Those of the greatest generation who served in World War II will soon be lost to our presence and remain only in memorial. In honoring the veterans among us, we honor all those who have served since the beginning of our country.
Today we are engaged in a protracted and increasingly difficult war on multiple fronts. Another generation of heroes has accepted the task assigned to them. They have had to grow up sooner rather than later. Some will never return, but more will come home with wounded bodies and spirits. Regardless of politics, they should be embraced by a grateful nation and honored for the heroic patriots they are. They deserve more than just a day of recognition, but the life-long thanks of all their fellow citizens. Their spirit of service is an example for us all that there is no greater love than to give your life for a friend. We certainly honor them on their special day, but it is even more important that we recognize the gift of liberty their sacrifice has secured for us. We ask that God’s blessing be upon them and we are grateful for their service.