Veterans Day

[parrotheadduff]

DEFINITION OF A VETERAN

A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That, my friends, is called Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

A Salute to Veterans
It is the soldier, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the soldier, who salutes the flag and serves under it, whose coffin is draped by
the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn the flag.
[The above phrases are a compilation of emails received by Glendale over the years. Sometimes they read “soldier,” sometimes “veteran.” No matter; the meaning and the intent is the same.]
President John F. Kennedy:
…Our service men and women are serving throughout the world as guardians of peace – many of them away from their homes, their friends and their families. They are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but inescapable truth – that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal sacrifice.
Admiral Forrest P. Sherman:
Today let us, as Americans, honor the American fighting man. For it is he – the soldier, the sailor, the Airman, the Marine – who has fought to preserve freedom. It is his valor that has given renewed hope to the free world that by working together in discipline and faith our ideals of freedom will always prevail.
Zell B. Miller, Politician:
Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier.
Maya Angelou, Author:
How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
Veterans Day
World War I ended in the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It took 20 more years before Congress made the 11th of November a legal holiday known as Armistice Day, which, in the context of that war, is considered to be the agreement between the Germans and the Allies to end the war on November 11, 1918. It was known as “the war to end all wars.” If only it had been so.
In 1954, after World War II and Korea, Congress amended that act by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans.” Thus, on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. As the list of wars continues to grow, the United States now has veterans from the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, and the war against terrorism.
The Uniforms Holiday Bill of 1968 was intended to insure three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays. They were Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would help the economy. Many states did not agree, however, and continued to celebrate those holidays on their original dates. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. Since the commemoration of Veterans Day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to many Americans, President Gerald R. Ford signed a subsequent law in 1975 that returned the original date of November 11th beginning in 1978.

[rich76]

[StockTrader]

A special thanks to the following:

2nd Lt. Megan Mallare Davis
2nd Lt. Justin Robert Davis
2nd Lt. Matthew Lawrence
Ret. Captain Bradley Mallare [Air Force]
Ret. Lt. Col. Ronald Antone Mallare [Army]
Ret. Master Chief Musician Mark Vincent Mallare [Navy]

Nick

[P562045]

I would like to thank all past, present, and future veterans.

For those of us who have not served in the military we can't even imagine the self sacrifice of these brave men and women and their families.

I just want to salute all veterans and their families.

[hork]

Originally Posted by P562045

I would like to thank all past, present, and future veterans.

For those of us who have not served in the military we can't even imagine the self sacrifice of these brave men and women and their families.

I just want to salute all veterans and their families.

I echo those sentiments