This week as a nation we celebrate Veterans Day, November 11th. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day. Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, a U.S. public holiday in May. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who had died while in military service. So exactly how and where did Veterans Day actually begin. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day 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… In 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the Veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars. Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” which would enshrine November 11th as the anniversary for all Veterans of all wars to forever be remembered forever. As the world faces many evil threats from outside its borders there is perhaps something else to consider threats from within our borders! One of our founding fathers, Abraham Lincoln once said, “America will never be destroyed from outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves from within…” A special thank you to all our veterans who made our country founded as one nation ‘Under God’ and died for our freedom we may understand and appreciate the cost of what we have today. Fr. Roach
