Some of the background on Veteran’s Day in the USA.
The great war aka the war to end all war, as it was variously called back then, only later, with WWII did the war from 1914 to 1918 become known as WWI, had lasted 4 years and was drawing to an end. The allied nations had virtually beaten the German government and negotiated an end to the war, known as an armistice. All hostilities were to end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. And that is how we get the date. It was easy to remember.
At first it was observed as Armistice Day, after WWII and Korea it was renamed Veteran’s Day and a time to honor all military veterans.
In 1993 we observed the 75th anniversary of the armistice. At the time there were 6 WWI veterans extant in Wyoming and 3 of them attended the ceremony. One of them was in a wheelchair pushed by another WWI veteran. Within 6 months only one of them was still alive.
I recall some of the conversations Cookie [the last surviving WWI Vet in Wyoming] and I used to have. The one that sticks out to me right now happened toward the end of the war. Supplies and provisions were hard to come by and both sides had been reduced to scavenging needed equipment. Cookie’s combat boots were worn out and he was keeping the sole of one boot on by tying rags around the boot and it was very cold and wet. One day he came across a German machine gun ‘nest’ in the woods. After he had killed everyone there he was rooting around and noticed that one of the German soldiers had good boots AND the boots fit him. He put the boots on and was so happy to have warm and reasonably dry footwear again. He searched the bodies and ‘nest’, finding some food which he took back to his unit so they could have something to eat too.
The last WWI Vet died a few years ago at the young age of 110.
Take a moment at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month for a bit of silence to remember and show gratitude to the military veterans for their service.