Next Wednesday, November 11, our nation will mark the 108th observance of Veterans Day, a day of solemnity and reverence that honors those who have served in our nation’s military.
Veteran’s Day initially was known as Armistice Day when it was enacted in 1919 to commemorate the first anniversary of the end of World War I, which occurred on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.
Historians to this day cannot even pinpoint a rational reason for why the war began. World War I was typified by trench warfare in which neither side (the German-allied nations of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire vs. the alliance among Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States) accomplished anything.
The trench lines did not meaningfully shift for the entire four-year period of the war until the Allies broke through the German lines in October, 2018, with the famous American-led offensive in the Meuse-Argonne Forest proving the decisive push that brought the war to an end, a campaign that remains as the deadliest in U.S. military history with 26,277 American deaths and over 95,000 wounded.
Though the war essentially was a stalemate for four years, much of the European continent was ravaged, with 10 million soldiers and another 10 million civilians losing their lives.
More significantly, the “war to end all wars” only set the stage for an even bloodier world-wide conflagration 21 years later with the onset of WWII on September 1, 1939.
The effects of WWI continue to reverberate in our world today. The roots of today’s conflicts in the Middle East can be traced to the shift in control of that part of the world in the aftermath of WWI from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) to England in what became known as the British Mandate for Palestine.
Shortly after WWII, England relinquished control of Palestine and gave it to the newly-formed United Nations, which in turn carved out the State of Israel for Jewish refugees from Europe, ultimately leading to the displacement of almost one million Palestinians and others from their ancestral homes where they had lived for centuries.
In the aftermath of the Korean War in 1954, Armistice Day officially became known as Veterans Day to recognize all of our nation’s veterans.
There are many ways that each of us can honor our vets, including attending parades and ceremonies in our communities, visiting veterans’ memorials and cemeteries, volunteering with veterans’ organizations, donating to veterans’ causes, flying the U.S. flag, thanking a veteran for their service, or simply taking a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many who have put their lives on the line to ensure that all of us can enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans today.
Veterans Day should remind us that our freedom isn’t free — and has required the personal sacrifice of millions of our fellow Americans.
Happy Diwali
We’d like to offer a “Happy Diwali” to our friends and neighbors who will be celebrating this festive holiday this week.
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is observed (with slight differences) by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. It is celebrated by lighting oil lamps and candles to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
The holiday takes place during a five-day period which begins this Friday, November 6, with the main festival occurring this Sunday, November 8, a time that coincides with the new moon (when the moon is dark).
The essence of Diwali is spiritual renewal, a time for each of us to reflect upon our shortcomings of the past year and to vow to make ourselves a better person in the year ahead.
We think all of our readers, regardless of their beliefs, would agree that is a worthy goal for all of us.