This year, the 93rd annual remembrance of Veterans Day falls on November 11th, 2011, a date otherwise written as 11/11/11.  The recurring elevens are more than historically correct; they are poignant.  They mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when the guns of World War I fell silent, for that was the moment that the war ended.

Ninety-three years ago, World War I was called “the war to end all wars.”  But those who’d coined that phrase had no way of knowing that WWI was but the prelude of many wars to follow.  To this day, mankind has not learned to solve his problems with reason rather than violence.  To this day, people still try to rob us of our inalienable freedoms; to protect those freedoms and the freedoms of others, we still march into war.  We still lose and mourn loved ones fallen in the armed services.  Leaving their indelible marks upon us all, each war is commemorated by its own mottos, music, and memories.

Some of the World War I’s mottos were, “40 and Eight” (40 men and eight horses to a boxcar), “Over the Top” (a reference to trench warfare), and “The Yanks are Coming.”  These mottos have all but passed into time.  But like certain scents, music has the power to transport us back in time, recalling memories as sharp as the day they were made.   Some of the music from World War I that has endured is George Cohan’s “Over There” as well as tunes from the 1917 musical production, “Yip Yip Yaphank.”

Today, the veterans of World War II are rapidly following in the footsteps of their First World War comrades in arms.  We will be followed by those who fought bravely in the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraqi wars.

America is undergoing dramatic change in the new millennium; our nation’s glorious past is fading into the pages of an ancient history book.  Veterans Day, therefore, should be a time for reflection, a time for our nation to determine the direction it wants to take going forward.  The price of our freedom has been paid for in the blood, sweat, and tears of the forefathers that established this great new nation in 1776, and in that of those who followed.

As I reflect upon the past, I would like to share a poem written by an unknown author.  May it stir the conscience of our readers as they reflect upon this Veterans Day 2011.

A Soldier Died Today

(Author Unknown)

He’s getting old and paunchy

and his hair is falling fast.

As he sits around the Legion

telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in

and the deeds that he had done

in his exploits with his buddies.

They were heroes, every one.

And sometimes, to his neighbors,

his tales became a joke.

While his buddies listened quietly,

for they knew of whence he spoke.

But we’ll hear his tales no longer,

for he has passed away.

And the world’s a little poorer,

For a soldier died today.

He won’t be mourned by many,

just his family and his wife.

For he lived a very ordinary

quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,

going quietly on his way.

And the world won’t note his passing,

Though a soldier died today.

When the politicians leave this earth

their bodies lie in state,

while thousands note their passing

and proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell their life stories

from the time when they were young.

While the passing of a soldier

goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution

to the welfare of our land,

to one who breaks his promise

and cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow,

who in times of war and strife,

goes off to serve his country

and offers up his life?

The politician’s stipend

and the style in which he lives

are often disproportionate

to the service that he gives.

While the ordinary soldier

who offers up his all

is paid off with a medal

and perhaps a pension small.

It is not the politician,

with his compromise and ploys,

who won for us that freedom

our country now enjoys.

If you find yourself in danger

with your enemies at hand,

would you really want some cop-out

with his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a soldier

on whom you can depend?

Just a common soldier

who would fight until the end?

He was just a common soldier,

and his ranks are growing thin.

But his presence should remind us

we may need his likes again.

For when countries are in conflict,

we find the soldiers part

is to clean up all the troubles

that the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor

while he’s here to hear the praise,

then at least let’s give him homage

at the ending of his days.

Perhaps a simple headline

in the papers that might say,

“OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY!”

*******

At precisely 11 o’clock on November 11, 1918, the guns of World War I fell silent.  With the signing of the Armistice between Germany and the Allied countries, the first global conflict officially ended.  Armistice Day was thus created to commemorate the men and women who served their country during World War I.  On this day of remembrance, we observed one minute of silence for those who gave their lives to bring peace to the world.

As a boy growing up during the Great Depression, I distinctly remember that, at the stroke of the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, factory whistles would blow, signaling that one minute of silence.  At that moment, every man, woman, and child in this great nation paused to respect the soldiers who had fought and died in World War I.

After “The War to End All Wars” ceased, President Woodrow Wilson, who dreamed of lasting peace, formed the League of Nations to ensure harmony worldwide.   For two decades, peace reigned.  When World War II erupted, it swept Europe, England, the United States, parts of Africa, and Japan into a conflict that lasted four very long, bloody years.

When it finally ended, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day in order to pay our respects to those who had fallen during both World Wars.  In so doing, something profound was lost in the transition: that one moment of silence.

In today’s rapidly changing, politically correct world, when holidays set aside to honor God and Country are losing their meaning, I would like to see that old world custom restored to Veterans Day:  that minute of silence when every man, woman, and child pauses, no matter where they are and what they are doing, to honor and respect, lest we forget.