#sparkchamber 111119 — Veterans Day
Today is Veterans Day, and #sparkchamber rejoices in the opportunity to salute those who have served in the armed forces. To echo the sentiment of writer, civil-rights activist, and 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Maya Angelou — How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
Let’s get grammar out of the way upfront: Veterans Day does not have an apostrophe. It isn’t a day that belongs to one veteran or multiple veterans, as the apostrophe in Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day would connote. Rather, this holiday is a tribute to all veterans — veterans plural — so no apostrophe is needed.
Moving on to the history. The precursor for Veterans Day was Armistice Day, named in commemoration of the truce that ended the fighting in World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in the year 1918. [The war officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919.] In 1938, Congress officially designated November 11th as Armistice Day, a holiday set aside in gratitude for veterans of World War I.
At that time, WWI was referred to as “the war to end all wars.” Sadly, that was not the case. After World War II and then the Korean War, Congress voted in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day, a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
The Allied forces of WWI equally hold November 11th as an important date in history. Canada, Australia, and Great Britain call the holiday “Remembrance Day” and acknowledge not only all veterans, but also all those who died in service to their countries. In Canada, many wear red poppy flowers in reverence of their war dead. In Great Britain, the holiday is observed on the Sunday closest to November 11th with parades, services, and two minutes of silence in London in memory of those who lost their lives in war.
In the U.S., there is a separate holiday to remember those who gave their lives in service to their country, and that is Memorial Day. In contrast, Veterans Day reveres all those, living or dead, who have served the country during wartime or during peace — although it is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service and sacrifices.
And now, on to the true import of this day. Service and sacrifice are not just words, but a stark, hard, living reality. War is life multiplied by some number that no one has ever heard of, says journalist, author, and filmmaker Sebastian Junger. Called to serve, and serving with integrity, courage, honor, and pride for country is half the story. On the other side, stress, uncertainty, isolation, intensity … takes its toll, both on the soldiers and on their families as well. “In study after study, deployment has been associated with poorer mental health in military families, behavioral problems in children, a higher risk of divorce, and higher rates of suicide.” [From a RAND Corporation research brief.] In short, the war doesn’t end when the warriors return from battle. It’s not necessarily easy to find footing on the home front.
And so, in the spirit of these words by John. F. Kennedy — As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them — we offer a few ways to thank a veteran today:
The National Veterans Foundation serves the crisis management, information, and referral needs of all U.S. Veterans and their families through the nation's only toll-free helpline for all veterans and their families. They also offer public awareness programs, and outreach services providing veterans and families in need with food, clothing, transportation, employment, and other essential resources.
The Mission Continues is a national nonprofit organization that empowers veterans who are adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact. Their operations deploy veteran volunteers alongside nonprofit partners and community leaders in six-month service fellowships addressing challenging issues such as education, hunger, at-risk-youth, and more. This unique approach enables veterans to build new skills and networks to help them successfully reintegrate to life after the military, while making long-term, sustainable transformations in communities, and inspiring future generations to serve.
The DAV [Disabled American Veterans] Charitable Service Trust supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs providing direct service to ill, injured, or wounded veterans. Programs supported by the Trust include providing food, shelter and other necessary items to homeless or at-risk veterans; accessibility or mobility items for veterans with vision or hearing impairments; therapeutic activities; physical and psychological activities for rehabilitation; and other forms of direct service for veterans and their families.
Pets for Vets offers shelter animals forever homes with veterans. When a Veteran is matched with the right pet, both lives change for the better. The Veteran saves the animal and welcomes him/her into a loving home. The pet provides the Veteran with unconditional love and support, easing stress, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Together, they share a Super Bond® that provides them both with a whole new “leash” on life.
Two final thoughts:
Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us. — President Ronald Reagan
Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on. — Thurgood Marshall
1.] Where do ideas come from?
War is what happens when language fails ― Margaret Atwood, Canadian Poet
A man must know his destiny… if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder… if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it. ― George S. Patton Jr., U.S. Army General WWII
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. — G.K. Chesterton, English writer and philosopher
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once. — Robert A. Heinlein, Naval officer and science-fiction writer
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing. ― Theodore Roosevelt, American statesman and president
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
The only easy day was yesterday — Richard D. Schoenberg, Book Title about Navy SEALs
Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history — Mary Roach, American author
4.] How do you know when you are done?
Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home. — Sun Tzu, Chinese general and military strategist, writer and philosopher
This will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave — Elmer Holmes Davis, reporter, author, and Director of the U.S. Office of War Information during World War II