On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, the Great War (back when it was not yet necessary to number them) officially came to an end.  It was the War to End All Wars.  ‘Tis a pity it truly wasn’t.

A legislative Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a), which was approved on May 13, 1938, “made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” 

Whereas Armistice Day was originally dedicated specifically to peace and generally to honoring those who died in WWI, it was officially changed in 1954 to Veterans’ Day – a national holiday set aside to honor all of our veterans, which by then included WWII and Korea. 

Nowadays it is seen as “A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”  Whether we view any given war, or any war at all, as far as that goes, as good or bad, right or wrong, there can be no debate over the sacrifice that those who have willingly gone to fight have made, and continue to make.  That sacrifice should not be recognized only one day of the year.  To those of you who have worn the uniform, to those of you who have made the sacrifice:  Thank you.