ARMISITC DAY

(351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) was approved on May 13, 1938, making November 11 in each year a legal holiday, known as Armistice Day, or Veteran’s Day. This day was originally intended to honor veterans of World War I.

This is a day that honors those men and women who served in the big one, the original big one, World War I. In terms of conflict, its’ hard to say how horrific it was, especially when you compare it to the horrors of World War II. It was meant to honor those who were in an actual war, putting their lives on the line for the U.S.

Today you can still meet the brave men and women who fought in Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan. My grandparent’s generation, then the “Greatest Generation” my parents, are mostly gone by now, as we are left to record their actions in time of strife for the generations to come, who will little remember or care about this ancient history.We must always keep it alive in our textbooks.

But if you want to meet the brave and the wounded warriors, we need to just look beyond our self-induced comforts and go to the veteran’s hospitals, the rehab centers and the unemployment lines. Maybe take a look under some bridge and you may find one sleeping because of post war trauma and stress.

These men and women, who put their lives on the line, are being neglected by today’s America, but you know that and I know that and together we hope the problem will go away by itself. But it won’t, unless we do something about it, rise up as a nation and demand we take care of our Heroes, demand that they have decent medical and decent jobs and decent homes to care for their families. I’ll tell you why, because they will, in spite of our apathy take arms once again if we needed them.

Just imagine going to do a difficult job that requires courage and self-control, doing it successfully, even losing a limb or two, maybe your peace of mind you so took for granted and not get paid for it in a meaningful way. How do we look these brave people in the eye? How do we save them from the callousness of our selfish society? How do we become a band of brothers for their sake? We put in those bums in Washington to do our bidding: our veteran’s should be the priority that comes first!

I’ve had two high school reunions I helped organize, and one that I attended, and I see these guys from the Viet Nam era, thankfully alive and safe, and I wish I could have done more on my part. I was kept out because of a hearing loss in both ears, and I know I owe them more than gratitude, I owe them more than just talk and typed words, both are cheap.

There is nothing more I wish to say today, except once again,

THANK YOU to our war veterans. I will pray for those who have fallen, and those who were permanently injured both physically and mentally I say: You don’t deserve what has happened to you, you do deserve all the support without question and no need to qualify it. We should start looking at the old men we send to Congress to fight wars with young people’s lives and thinking about throwing out the bunch once and for all if they can’t or won’t comply with what they owe you.

SO TODAY, AT 11:00 A.M., when the original armistice was signed ending World War I, take a that moment and just remember them all.

There will be no other parts to this posting today in honor of the fallen and wounded Veteran's, see you tomorrow.