“The holiday is meant to honor those who have died in the country’s service and thank those who have served. Originally known as Armistice Day, it was proclaimed in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson and became a legal federal holiday in 1938.”
My husband served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1961-1965. He was on ships offshore in all the hot spots around the world during that time – most notably the Cuban Missile Crisis – but thankfully never had to face combat. He is funny about it, though. If he wears his vest that has Marine Corps patches on it, and people thank him for his service, he is embarrassed. He doesn’t think he deserves the thanks because he never actually ‘fought’ like ‘real veterans’ did. I heartily disagree, but he won’t hear me on this.
In the middle of the square in Greenwood, Arkansas is Memorial Park. It’s the center of many happy events during the year. One of the most impressive, however, is Veterans Day, where U.S. Flags are placed by the memorial ‘stones’ placed by families of veterans in our town. I wanted to get one for my husband, but again – he won’t hear of it. You can’t really see them in this photo, but there are half-size statues of service men from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marines standing guard around the clock tower in the middle of the park.
There will be a parade today.
To people who have served or are serving now – THANK YOU for your service. THANK YOU for being willing to put everything on the line for our country and its people. THANK YOU for the sacrifice of your family. We honor you today – and every day.
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