The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Important? Meaningful? Why?
World War I, The Great War, ended with the implementation of an armistice between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of November, 1918. President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day on November 11, 1919 with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" The original concept for the celebration was for the suspension of business for a two minute period beginning at 11 a.m., with the day also marked by parades and public
meetings. Over the years, the day grew to include the millions of veterans who have served our country and the name changed to “Veteran’s Day.”
As I write this, I’ve just returned from Colchester’s Veteran’s Day ceremony on Veteran’s Green. Did you think about the meaning of today? Why it’s a special day? And how important this day is?
November 11th is a day set aside to remember, thank, and honor our veterans – past and current. Thanks to these courageous and dedicated individuals we are able to attend the church of our choice – or not attend at all; we can choose our leaders and disagree with them in public if we wish; we can attend school and community activities without fear; and we live in the best country in the world.
Last week three of our schools held Veteran’s Day ceremonies to remember and honor our service men and women. How inspiring it was to hear seven year olds talk about what freedom means to them; to watch an entire middle school silently and respectfully file outside to the ceremony; to listen to an intermediate school student to talk about his grandfather – a veteran and a hero; and to watch all of their faces during the ceremony for a fallen soldier. Thank you with much appreciation to Colchester’s educators for ensuring that our children truly understand Veteran’s Day and why it is important to them as citizens of the United States of America.
Our veterans have and continue to give so much for us. If you didn’t have a chance to thank a veteran on Veteran’s Day, it’s not too late – you can thank them today, tomorrow, and even next week. What’s important is that we all remember to thank the men and women whose daily bravery and commitment to our country allow each of us to live with freedoms and in democracy.
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