Today is Veteran's Day.
Veterans Day was originally
Armistice Day,
a day set aside to
honor
the signing of the armistice
that ended the fighting
of World War I
on November 11, 1918.
My grandfather was a soldier
on a ship headed to
France when the
armistice was signed.
He didn't have to fight,
but his brother did.
His brother saw active combat
in the Argonne Forest
and was severely injured by
mustard gas.
He made it home,
but soon after, he died of his injuries.
In my Grandma's life history
I found this entry
about Armistice Day.
It made me cry.
I want my Veterans Day tribute
to be given in my Grandma's words.
.
.
On November 11th of this year...1981...it will be 63 years since the Armistice was signed which ended World War I.
Yes, history says ended, but to many, the terrible tragedies of World War I have never ended. I would like to tell you a little about the true meaning and sacredness of the Armistice to the few surviving veterans of that war and why they fought so diligently to preserve this day and not have it shifted about and turned into a day for pleasure.
To them it is truly sacred.
When the United States entered World War I on April 6th, 1917, England, France, and many smaller allied nations had been fighting Germany since 1914. Countless thousands of men had been killed. The ones still fighting were weary, hungry, and discouraged, about to be defeated and almost ready to give up.
Then one day in the distance could faintly be heard the strains of a military band. As it came nearer, the tune they were playing could be recognized. It was our beautiful "Battle Hymn of the Republic".
Soon over the brow of a hill came the most glorious sight those weary, war-worn soldiers had ever beheld, the United States Marines. And they were singing: "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, Our God is marching on!"
Those beautiful words cheered and encouraged the hearts of the weary, discouraged men of the Union Army during the Civil War and instilled into them the will and courage to go on. So must they have cheered those weary, war-worn boys on the battlefields of Flanders.
And so onto the battle-scarred "no man's land" poured miles of American troops, foot soldiers, trucks loaded with supplies, the massive tanks, the medical details and the Red Cross. America had come to put a stop to Kaiser Wilhelm's reign of terror and help restore peace to the world. But there followed one year and a half of the bloodiest warfare the world had ever known.
Then, Oh! The blessed day of November 11th.
We had just arrived at the store and were preparing for work when the church bells all over the city began ringing, trains in the railroad yards were whistling and ringing their bells, cars on the streets were honking, people were screaming, running and calling out, "The war is over! The war is over! The Armistice has been signed, the war is ended!"
People working in the business houses just put on their coats and walked out and doors were closed. Everyone on the street was embracing everyone else, it didn't make any difference who you were, we were all one and people were hysterically celebrating.
Another girl and I were riding on the front fenders of a Model-T Ford and my new beautiful winter hat blew off and sailed over the high board fence enclosing the railroad yards. ...and that is the last I ever saw of it. No one could stop for a mere hat even though it cost $13.00 of my meager earnings!
Then in a few days the trains began unloading, returning veterans and great crowds were at the depot to meet them and welcome them home.
Many were weeping and so were the homecoming boys and putting their arms around whomever stood near. It didn't make any difference whether it was your soldier or someone else's--they were so happy to be home.
The saddest sight of all was the Fathers and Mothers, wives and sweethearts, brothers and sisters who came day after day and stood waiting, hoping beyond hope and praying that some mistake may have been made--that maybe after all their boy would come today. Then they would turn away with tears streaming down their cheeks.
Of those who survived, many have spent all of the remaining years of their lives in hospitals and some are still doing so. Other members of those elderly World War I veterans are finishing out their lives in rest homes or in veterans' homes. Many have been forgotten.
Now, World War I will really soon be ended, but I hope and pray that Armistice Day will live on in the hearts of the people.
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