Veterans Day Thoughts

Today is Veterans Day.

Sometimes it is helpful to know why we celebrate a holiday.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 World War I officially ended when an Armistice was signed.  From that day forward, November 11th was known as Armistice Day in many countries and was a National Holiday in each of them. The holiday was established to observe the cessation of the war and to remember those that were killed. In many parts of the world, people observed two consecutive minutes of silence at 11:00 a.m. local time as a sign of respect.  The first minute was for those that died (~20 million) and the second minute was for those that were left behind (wives, children, mothers, fathers, etc.). Many Veterans used the silence to pay homage to their departed comrades. November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American Veterans of all wars.

While the holiday is commonly printed as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars and advertisements (spellings that are grammatically acceptable), the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Web site states that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling "because it is not a day that 'belongs' to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans."

I want to take a minute to thank all veterans for their service.  President Ronald Reagan once said, “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world but the Marines don't have that problem.”  I think it is safe to say that anyone that served this country by wearing a uniform of the military services - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard - can say with confidence that they made a difference by serving. 

I looked up what a Veteran is and came across this quote from an anonymous source; ”A veteran is someone who at some point has written a check to Uncle Sam that reads: PAYABLE IN FULL UP TO THE AMOUNT OF MY LIFE, IF NECESSARY TO DEFEND OUR WAY OF LIFE.”  Thank you Veterans for your service, dedication and sacrifices. The brave men and women who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life; they are parents, children and grandparents. They are friends, neighbors and coworkers, and an important part of their communities.

Today is a time to thank those who are serving or have served and are still with us. Memorial Day is to reflect and remember those who lost their lives in service to their country. Confusing the two or combining the two diminishes the importance of both.

If you know a Veteran or see a Veteran today, please thank them for their service. And don’t forget the family members that also serve – in a different way. Thank them for their sacrifices while their loved ones serve/d. It is truly the toughest job in the service since they don’t know when and if their loved ones will be home.

There are approximately 23.2 million military veterans in the United States (less than 10% of the US population)
• ~9.2 million Veterans are over the age of 65.
• ~1.9 million Veterans are under the age of 35.
• ~1.8 million Veterans are women.
• ~7.8 million Veterans served during the Vietnam War era (1964-1975), which represents 33% of all living veterans.
• ~5.2 million Veterans served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present).
• ~2.6 million Veterans served during World War II (1941-1945).
•~ 2.8 million Veterans served during the Korean War (1950-1953).
•~ 6 million Veterans served in peacetime.
• 5 states have more than 1 million Veterans in among their population: California (2.1 million), Florida (1.7 million), Texas (1.7 million), New York (1 million) and Pennsylvania (1 million).