“Lord, bid war’s trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace.”
This is from an earlier post. I don’t think I can do better.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, World War I ended. This day became known as “Armistice Day.” In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Similarly, unknown soldiers had been buried in England at Westminster Abbey and at France at the Arc de Triomphe. All of these memorials took place on November 11th to commemorate the end of the “war to end all wars.”
In 1926, Congress resolved to officially call November 11th Armistice Day. Then in 1938, the day was named a national holiday. Soon afterwords war broke out in Europe and World War II began.
Soon after the end of World War II, a veteran of that war named Raymond Weeks organized “National Veterans Day” with a parade and festivities to honor all veterans. He chose to hold this on Armistice Day. Thus began annual observances of a day to honor all veterans not just the end of World War I. In 1954, Congress officially passed and President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veteran’s Day. Due to his part in the creation of this national holiday, Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982.
In 1968, Congress changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. However, the significance of November 11 was such that the changed date never really got established. In 1978, Congress returned the observance of Veterans Day to its traditional date.
On Memorial Day, 1958, two unidentified soldiers were interred at Arlington National Cemetery having died in World War II and the Korean War. In 1984, an unknown soldier who died in the Vietnam War was placed next to the others; however, this last soldier was later exhumed, and he was identified as Air Force 1st Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie. His body was removed.
The unknown soldiers are symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars. To honor them, an Army honor guard keeps day and night vigil.
National ceremonies commemorating Veterans Day occur each year at the the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 AM on November 11, a color guard representing all military services executes “Present Arms” at the tomb. Then the presidential wreath is laid upon the tomb. Finally, the bugler plays taps.
Each Veterans Day should be a time when Americans stop and remember the brave men and women who have risked their lives for the United States of America. As Dwight Eisenhower said, “…it is well for us to pause, to acknowledge our debt to those who paid so large a share of freedom’s price. As we stand here in grateful remembrance of the veterans’ contributions we renew our conviction of individual responsibility to live in ways that support the eternal truths upon which our Nation is founded, and from which flows all its strength and all its greatness.”
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
November 11, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Unfortunately, humanity has not learned the lessons from 1918, 1945 nor any conflict since. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan to end WWII, Albert Einstein was asked what he thought WWIII would be like. He replied that he didn’t know about WWIII, but WWIV would be fought with sticks and stones. Hopefully, we never find out the answer.
November 11, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Bob,
I don’t even want to contemplate what it might take before we call an end to war.
November 11, 2018 at 1:34 pm
The sad part is that warfare is very profitable. President Eisenhower warned us to beware of the military industrial complex in his farewell speech. Of course, we didn’t.
November 11, 2018 at 1:52 pm
It was the war which finally brought the depression to an end. People see war as an uptick in employment and so much more.
November 11, 2018 at 6:16 pm
I’m a bit late to the show this afternoon. I have been waiting to watch Peter Jackson’s “They shall not grow Old” which was shown for the first time on BBC2 following some theatrical releases. Commissioned by the Imperial War Museum and the BBC it is an extraordinary document on the First War. VPN let me watch it and I hope it quickly becomes available for viewing in the US
So it was a weekend of reflection, what happened in Baden Baden on Kristallnacht to my family 80 years ago, and today my two Grandfathers who served and somehow survived the First War despite been seriously wounded
I spent the morning listening to the Super Deluxe Edition of The White Album. A beautifully presented package which will take hours of listening. I have all sorts of goodies demanding my attention, and am now trying to go on hiatus until Christmas.
Love the Emmylou song Kat, thank you for posting it
November 11, 2018 at 8:40 pm
My Dear Hedley,
One of my grandfathers served in World War I. He was in the navy. My father graduated from high school at 16 and tried to get his mother to sign his enlistment papers. She would not. He enlisted the day he turned 17. His ship was torpedoed and split in two. He was the only one who survived on his half of the ship. He was in the water so long, he was in danger of losing his legs. He tells wonderful stories of being in the hospital in Plymouth, England. We went back there, he, my mother and I, together. He stayed in the Hoe and was flooded by memories. It was an amazing trip.
You are very welcome!