» Remember Veterans Day

Remember Veterans Day

November 10, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Frank Woodruff Buckles Frank Woodruff Buckles2

Frank Woodruff Buckles at age 16 and 107

Tomorrow, November 11, 2009 is Veterans Day. I am posting this today to give you ample time to plan. Go find your US Flag or go buy a new one if necessary. It does no good to have it stashed in some corner. HANG IT for all to see! Please don’t forget your flag etiquette.

What is Veterans Day? For most people it’s a paid day off from work and the the kids stay home from school. There are sales at the mall, parades and other festivities. But do you know why?

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring the 24.5 million military veterans in the United States, 1.7 million of whom are women and 9.5 million of whom are 65 and older. Our oldest living veteran is Frank Woodruff Buckles, WWI veteran, age 108.

Veterans Day is both a federal and state holiday in all states and is usually observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world. November 11 is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.

Armistice Day was celebrated starting November 1919 until 1954 where is was official changed to Veterans Day and was to include all Veterans of all wars.

Be sure to thank a Veteran for fighting for and protecting your Constitutional Rights. Most important to me are our First and Second Amendment Rights:

Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of Assembly
Right to Keep and Bear Arms

China doesn’t have that. Many many countries don’t have that. We have our issues, but I have traveled all over the and there is no better country in the world than the United States of America.

There are veteran and war memorials all over the US. Here are four National War Memorials from Washington DC.

World War I Memorial; Washington DC
4,734,991 US Troops deployed; 320,518 killed and wounded; 1917-1918

World War II Memorial; Washington DC
16,112,566 deployed worldwide; 1,077,245 killed and wounded; 1941-1945

Korean War Memorial; Washington DC
5,720,000 deployed worldwide; 157,530 killed and wounded; 1950-1953

Vietnam War Memorial; Washington DC
8,744,000 deployed worldwide; 243,512 killed and wounded; 1964-1975

There are many Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran and War Memorials being built in the US. There is a National Memorial in planning for Washington DC, but I think there are some design issues.