The original Armistice Day was established in November of 1919 to commemorate the end of WWI — and at that time, President Woodrow Wilson and the Congress established that day with these 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, President Dwight Eisenhower expanded the day of remembrance to include all veterans of all conflicts, and he did so with the approval of Congress, and with these words:
…On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.
Note that the hope of both presidents was that there would be a commitment to peace, and to both justice and freedom, because the lessons of history teach us that the horrors of war are so great — both for the soldiers who fight in them and on those who are caught innocently in the midst of the conflicts — that they stay forever in the hearts and minds of those who are touched by the chaos and conflict.
To all veterans, past and present, may you find your peace. Thank you…for your sacrifices and for those of your families.
(Photo of the remains of a trench and poppies in Flanders Field via Enidanc. For those interested in helping needy veterans in your area, I provided some links yesterday of ways you can do just that…)
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Amen.
Reminds me, I have to call my best friends’ dad: he served in Viet Nam. All of my relatives who served are long gone, WW2 veterans.
Thanks all veterans, and especially our veteran pups. (and families)
Some with bodies and minds shattered, some who live every day in fear in a far away country and some who will never come home – may they indeed find peace. thank you CHS
On a Veteran’s Day past, George Bush was against an invasion of Iraq.
Via HuffPo
Juan Cole suggest a donation to your nearest homeless shelter in honor of Veterans Day, since vets comprise about a tenth of the general population, but over a quarter of the homeless.
Over the course of 2006, nearly a half-million veterans were homeless in America. This is our nation’s shame.
TeddySanFran @ 7
unsolicited editorial repair
A true World War I story was turned into a song by folksinger John McCutcheon: Christmas in the Trenches. Here are the lyrics from John’s website, and a YouTube montage which begins with John telling the story of writing the song and performing the song for a group of WWI vets, before singing it for the audience at Wolf Trap.
I can’t listen to it without tearing up. My favorite part of the song is the end:
My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I I’ve learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won’t be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we’re the same.
Amen.
Christy,
As a veteran, you make tears fall from my eyes.
I like the picture. Last spring I decided to express myself in flowers. Ordinarily it’s considered a fuddy duddy New England tradition, but I have started to grow red poppies (oriental, not flanders unfortunately) in protest and respect for the fallen. I hope by this spring, they’ll be really blooming.
Don’t know if you guys saw the aclu article about the third torture memo. I’ve been out of touch.
My Father Lloyd – USMC – WW2
Uncle David – USMC – Korea (Chosen Resevoir)
Nephew David – USA – Afghanistan
Nephew Chris – USAF – Iraq(currently there)
George Bush – A yellow elephant
TeddySanFran @ 7
AngryBlackBitch writes beautifully on this topic.
OT apologies
Judge orders re WH e-mails, etc.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl…..12,00.html
My late husband was a WWII vet. A German Jew, he left there at age 13, with his family, after Krystallnacht. Enlisted in U.S. Army 5 months short of his 18th birthday to “get back at those Nazi sons-of-bitches.”
TeddySanFran @ 7
All those chickenhawks have nothing to say on this I am sure. It’s always blame the homeless.
I’m up in about 15 minutes on KUDO progressive talk radio in Anchorage. My very first talk radio gig – I’m a temp – ever. Yikes!
I’ll be talking about Veterans Day, the great news of cancellation of a huge coal-fired power plant in picturesque Palmer, the voter reform movement in Alaska and whatever….
You can listen here.
ET!!!
Very Best on Your Gig!!!
Ed*ard Teller @ 17
Emphasis added to Lincoln’s immortal words.
Ed*ard Teller @ 17
I speechless over the last post. There are actually politicians bragging about being corrupt in Alaska?
you’ll do great ET – knock ‘em out!
On a break from work here, but not for much longer. A vid worth watching on Veterans’ Day (I also posted it very early this a.m.) from an excellent film about returning from war:
Aircraft Graveyard Scene- The Best Years of Our Lives
AZ Matt @ 18
Break a leg!
punaise @ 24
Give em hell ET!
1,657 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Hardin Smith and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Your words are a balm to wounds that don’t heal and to the aches from losses that are not renewable. Bless you, sweet person, and thank you for remindin’ us of how long the winds of war have blown and how the warriors and those who experience the awfulness of war cry for peace.
And to those veteran brothers and sisters, let’s not forget those who didn’t make it home with us…let’s keep faith with their blood sacrifice and let’s not let our fellow citizens ignore the reality of what is out of sight and jest over the hill. The forces of profit and death trained us and gave us the experience of their corruption and their evil…let’s bring the war home to them!
KEEP THE FAITH…THE CURE FOR FASCISM IS MORE DEMOCRAZY!!
OT – watching Obama on softballs… is Obama’s accent getting decidedly more southern?
OldCoastie @ 27
That’s preachy man, that aint southern. *g*
All over the stream, ET.
Congrats!
punaise @ 24
You know, Alaska is sooooo rich in Republican scandals that there will be no shortage of material for ET.
The pictures of Bush rubbing the heads of badly wounded soldiers with a smirk on his face enrage me.
He doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near these soldiers…being the one responsible for their terrible wounds and the deaths of their friends…
Just another sleazy phot-op for our demented president to make it look like he cares…as he and his partner in crime plan to send more troops to their deaths in Iran.
AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ET!
Obama’s guy looks like the V for Vendetta guy!!!
1,657 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Ed*ard Teller and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Give ‘em hell, brother Teller…there isn’t a better person ta bring the truth to those who thirst for it!!
And remember: those who have experienced war and all those who we honor today who didn’t make it home have your back!
KEEP THE FAITH, YA DON’T NEED ANYTHIN’ ELSE!!
Many thanks to the brave and selfless!
OT
Anyone think the country might be better served if the investigation into Kerik were to come to a slow crawl for now, and then pick up steam say around October 2008?
A few words from a certain WWI vet…
And yet…
I’ll settle for a window seat.
ET sounds good.
yeah, ET’s doing a great job!
OT
Hold those e-mails, Prez
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin…..ref=slogin
I’ll never understand this blanket “thank you for your service” crap that is always directed at veterans. Sorry, I don’t buy it. I don’t support anyone who willingly kills innocent people. A true hero is someone who refuses to fight an immoral and unjust war, not someone who blindly follows orders.
Flame away.
In case you haven’t seen this two-parter in the LA Times, written by a photojournalist who has tried to help one of our veterans …well, it’s a heartbreaker:
http://www.latimes.com/news/na…..;cset=true
Saloum @ 40
Simple minds think simple thoughts.
Ms. Redshift has a nice post up about Remembrance Day and her family.
Saloum @ 40
I’m not going to “flame” you. I will, however, pity you. It must be lonely knowing that you alone have all the knowledge to know that all those who have served did so in order to “kill innocent people” and “blindly follow orders.”
For the record, I detest this immoral invasion and occupation. But I refuse to blindly issue a blanket condemnation for all those who have chosen to enlist for whatever reason and forced into this atrocity because of the war crimes of our supposed leaders.
For the record, my father was in the Army in WWII as was at least one uncle. I had an uncle who served in the Army during WWI. I had a great uncle who died while in the Army during the Spanish-American War. One first cousin was career Navy, retiring in the early ’60s. A couple of other first cousins served in the Navy during Vietnam and my brother served in the Air Force for over ten years before getting a commission and serving in the National Guard and reserves until his retirement and I served in the Air Force (12/10/76-9/9/82).
eCAHNomics @ 6
This is a great idea.
Fine post, Christy. There are lots of us here who appreciate it.
If we get a holiday at the end of every war- and we have gooper prez for a few decades- we won’t have to work at all.
Saloum @ 39
The nation needs a defense system. The problem is not with those who serve, the problem is with those civilians who misuse their powers and order those that defend us in harm’s way for their own idealogical agenda.
OK, I just lost ET! ET check your feed!
Scarecrow @ 45
Thank you Scarecrow and thanks to all the fire pup vets!
Juan Cole article
Eureka Springs @ 48
I did too, I thought it was just me
Elliott @ 49
Ted Stevens did it !
Twain @ 51
LMAO!
I’m an old peace chick from way back. I had the War Is Not The Answer bumpersticker on my car from the beginning of the war.
Yesterday was my turn to lead the little early service at church. I spoke about Veteran’s Day. I knew I made the right decision when one of the folks who regulary attends showed up. He’s my age, mid fifties and usually wears jeans and a sweatshirt and always sits in the back. Very quiet guy. Showed up in his Army dress uniform, with Lots of Ribbons. It was wow.
This is weird…it is a 2006 article that cites a Pentagon article no longer available….40,000 AWOLs since 2000. The figure I always hear is 5,000 since the Iraq invasion began:
http://www.envirosagainstwar.o…..temid=4473
Well, my dad was a vet from WWI. He was Georgian, and fought in the Russian Army. He was shot twice and the bullets were removed without anesthesia. Best dad I could ever have wished for.
*****
92 year old WWII vet among veterans arrested for peaceful protest against the Iraq War in Boston.
video
http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/Home/
Detail;jsessionid=
CECE97D4A9AD01FD87F731F528F7AAF0?
contentId=4902649&version=1&locale=EN-US&
layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
OT – I haven’t seen *ucker or Matthew’s shows since school started… looks like the fix is in as both seem to be beating the drum for Obama… and after the Hillary Hate Festival of late…
so, they gonna set him up just to knock him down? that would be my guess.
Too young for Viet Nam, but old enough to sign up for the (mandatory) selective (military) service at the post office – cerca 1977. That was sort of a pre-draft registration in case a draft would be have been instituted.
Born from a long line of blue collar workers – nobody ever went to college in my family. Many were in some branch of the military for at least a four-year stint. If there were a draft, I guess I would have been sucked into it, though Mom and Dad always said that they would arrange for my brother or myself to abscond to Canada. Never had to test that theory – fortunately. Mom and Dad didn’t want their sons to die for any government. I feel the same way about my son. I don’t ever want him to join any military. I hope he never does. I shall endeavor with all my heart and resources to lay a path for him that will steer him otherwise.
OldCoastie @ 56
They can’t have a runaway nomination; makes for no viewers.
From downstairs -
If anyone hasn’t seen Band of Bloggers, the History Channel is replaying it at 6 p.m. (ET)
Someone commented on it recently; might not have caught my eye to watch otherwise…thanks to the appropriate person.
Ot..More Thug? behavior.
How far did this federal judge go?
A judicial council reprimanded U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent for ‘inappropriate behavior’ and accused him of misconduct over sexual harassment charges. But that only begins to tell the story.
(snip)
The judge grabbed Mc-Broom, pulled up her blouse and her bra and put his mouth on her breast. Then, Kent forced her head down toward his crotch.
link
Inappropriate Behavior? Jeebus sounds like sexual battery to me.
TeddySanFran @ 57
Yep. The media may get dirtier than the campaigns- just for the fun of it – and the ratings of course. If the writers stay on strike they have to do something to keep the drooling masses happy.
The Popadope is comin to the US for the first time in 08. He’s gonna visit ground zero and go to the White House.
Last time we had in a election, he wasn’t Popadope yet- but he got involved in the movement to trash Kerry on abortion and suggest that he not be offered communion any longer. Will he do the same for Rudy? NAH–Popadope’s a gooper.
I don’t know how many of my family have served … I’ve never tried counting. Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, some inbetween wars (I think). My father and all of my uncles; my mother’s cousin (career Navy, long retired) who spent a year in ‘Nam, and the more distant cousin in my generation who came home from there in a box (yes, he’s on the Wall) before he was old enough to vote – that was in 1969; my mother’s father and many of his cousins; my great-grandfather and his brother and brother-in-law … and the great-great-grandfather in the KY Home Guard who was killed by CSA raiders.
rwcole @ 62
Poor guy; was forced to join the Hitler Jungen.
We, Lahoma and I, want to say thank you to all veterans, and thanks to all ex-G.I.’s who are still with us and who have “gone”. To all those who serve today, red, brown, yellow, black and white, we love you.
More than 48,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with PTSD, according to a Veterans Affairs spokeswoman. VA psychologist Patricia Jackley said her Dallas-based unit has enrolled more than 300 patients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
from The Dallas Morning News
It’s a night to raise a glass to all those who went to war and gave their lives in the madness. We salute you.
A toast to all those who gave their lives for freedom- and piss on those who fight to take it away.
rwcole @ 62
Not a gooper, a Nazi.
I had forgotten that particular moral dilemma of the late ’60s:
If I get drafted, do I go to Viet Nam or do I bolt and run to Canada? If I do the first, I will be obliged to do things that I do not want to have on my conscience. If I do the latter I will leave everything I hold dear behind as well as not be able to continue on the path I hope my life will take me.
I had already looked along the path of entering the Coast Guard so as to save lives at sea. The review board asked me if I knew that everyone went on river patrol in Viet Nam: you didn’t man lighthouses or jump into the water to rescue sailors.
Perhaps it was luck that kept me from having to make the decision. Perhaps it was something else.
I hope that every man and woman who has served believed very strongly in what they were doing. It would be terrible to do things that you knew were wrong.
TeddySanFran @ 68
The man has the most predatory smile I have ever seen. I always think of the big bad wolf.
Several anti-war veterans were arrested when they protested their exclusion from a Veterans Day event by refusing to move away from a podium.
link
P J Evans @ 63
FWIW, my great-grandfather was in the CSA during the war (I’m native KY as well) and spent a year and a half in a Yankee prison camp in Indiana.
My hometown was raided twice by John Hunt Morgan during the war.
FYI, New post upstairs
In my brother’s class at school:
One got into the Coast Guard Academy.
One refused induction and got two years (he was still in when Nixon declared it over).
One got CO status after a lot of correspondence.
And, not in that group, we were acquainted with someone who did go to Canada, and stayed out of touch with his family until the amnesty.
I grew up in Portland, Oregon. I don’t recall it being raided by anyone- anytime- cept some Portland State Students who got low on beer during a serious party. We were a long way from war- but not far enough.
and if I could say, please remember that “veterans” includes many, many women… this class of vet is often very invisible.
Here’s an excellent short article on Neil Bush and the erstwhile Cardinal Benny’s meetup for devious plans for Kerry.
http://www.caucaz.com/home_eng…..php?id=168
OldCoastie @ 77
One of my Navy vet first cousins fits that description.
dakine01 @ 79
good for her!
try being a female Coast Guard vet… I think there is about a thousand of us in the entire country.
OldCoastie @ 80
Women Veterans
dakine01 @ 81
thanks, dakine01,
“back in the day” (late 70’s) was about the time things started (just barely) to change for women in the services… the rates started to open up. I was a boatswain’s mate – one of about 12 women in the CG who worked that job in those days… my best buddy was a machinist’s mate – maybe one of 6… double edged sword, that opening up the jobs… the effect today, in some ways, doesn’t seem so great.
September 1950
Inchon Invasion,
Republic of Korea
God Bless and RIP
Good photo. Poppies are among the first flowers to reinvest fields destroyed by war, especially those in northern France and Belgium. Hence, the red poppies ubiquitously worn in Europe pre-Armistice Day/Remembrance Sunday. They’re now given in exchange for contributions to veterans or ex-service members groups.
The original remembrance on 11 November until the armisrice that ended WWI came along was for four anarchists who were hung after a rigged trial in 1887.
The trial pf those convicted in the Haymarket incident never determined who actually threw a bomb into a crowd of cops who were sent to disperse a peaceful gathering that was protesting the heavy-handed tatics employed against striking workers at the McCormick (International Harvester) plant by Chicago police the afternoon of 3 May 1886.
Capitalists wanted blood and four prominent anarchists were hanged; there would have been a fifth but one of the men blew himself up in his cell the night before sentence was carried out.
We already have Memorial Day in this country. As a wounded Vietnam veteran, I think we should give 11 November back to the working class people so the coming generations have a sense of what workers suffered in order to get what little they have left today.
I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in DC decided 11 November meeded to be taken back from the International Socialist movement and the IWW and settled for the armisitce as a nice way of doing it.
Either way, 11 November is celebrated in my house as Haymarket Day.
Chickenhawk Bush used the weekend and today to vacation in Texas. Chickenhawk 5 deferment Cheney spoke at Arlington. Bush couldn’t be inconvenience from his vacation.
The emails from the White House and Rove (still) are to say everything is improving in Iraq with express orders not to get into specifics (which are getting worse).
1/4 current veterans are homeless and care at the VAHs is a shambles and access is more bureaucratic than ever.
At least 1500 Veterans who served in Iraq and Afganistan are homeless, and the number is probably considerably more.
Congress has not passed a budget for the VAH this year–its operating on last year’s budget. I don’t hear a lot from the Pres hopefuls on these topics.
Bush the Chickenhawk did participate in a video game on the Iraq war, although he was too lazy to fly the big plane back to D.C. to lay a wreath.
He shopped in Waco, though, doing his usual part for “the war.”
Thank you Christy for your timely, touching post. Dr. Turtle came home from the hospital today after saving a young Marine after a suicide attempt. 3860 official dead, 4000 unofficial dead today. (suicides, deaths out-of-theater, etc.) 600,000 backlogged veterans claims. Until we have an administration that keeps the promises made to those that serve, private citizens and the veterans organization must try to fill the gaps.
Support the troops and vets by doing helping in any way you can. I have links at my place.
hello Hope!
Morning doves cuing softly, at the window by my bed,
memories of battles fought are churning in my head.
The dawn filters through the windows, lightin up my eyes.
I think about the night that’s past, and stiffly start to rise…and then move on.
The ghosts they come to me, every time I go to sleep.
Images of broken bodies, from which life slowly seeks.
And I try to stop the leaking, with my blood clot slimy hands, and watch the life force fading from the eyes of these young men…and then move on.
They look so small and helpless, when their laying on the ground.
Children playing soldier, till the recess bell it sounds.
But the shattered limbs and the shredded flesh say this ain’t no game they’ve found.
We’ll plant another crop of Heroes, and the world keeps turning round and then move on.
Thirty years and more have passed since then but I still see them every night.
Still the dawn is waiting after each drawn out firefight. The ones who lived have all moved on and the ones who died have stayed.
Maybe someday we’ll find piece, at least that’s what they say…and then move on.
Went to the wall day before yesterday. I tell myself everytime I won’t break down THIS time but every time I do. Looked around…I wasn’t the only one crying. All of us on this side of that black mirror with the names on it are getting old. All of those on the other side will forever be young…in our hearts and minds. They’ll never have the chance to stand there with us and cry for lost brothers…everytime. Keep your “Happy Veterans Day” I want them back.
I’m sorry but isn’t it obvious that both of those former presidents have a pre 9-11 mentality!!!!
Like shootin’ fish in a barrel!
“I don’t mean to be a wise ass, I was born that way!”
they call me “the thread killer!”
my graduating HS class in 1968 had 72 people total. Of those, myself and a friend volunteered(USAF) one joined the Navy and served as a medic with Marine Force Recon(the 3 of us all served in Vietnam), and one was drafted-he served in Germany. No one else in my class was drafted, and no one else volunteered. BTW I got my draft card while in Vietnam, I sent my draft board a picture of me throwing my draft card into a fire, and sent them back a note that said, what are you going to do, arrest my ass and send me to Vietnam. That did not go over very well, my parents said that they were visited by an FBI agent, they reminded him that he was the one who had interviewed them for several hours when I got my Top Secret clearance, they dropped their investigation when they(fbi)discovered that I was currently in Vietnam. The moral is; Don’t mess with the draft board.(but I still wonder just why none of my other classmates ever got a draft notice, did not make much sense then, or now.) BTW, as a first generation american I can not claim any relatives who fought for the US in any war, but every one of my relatives, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, were part of the resistance in Norway. More than 1/2 of my relatives died, and several others, my mother included, were arrested by the Nazi’s(my mother was 16 when she was arrested.She, along with what remained of my family emigrated to the US in 1947.(My father was killed in Korea, on the first of July 1950, he survived the Nazi’s thru out WWII, and was killed on the 6th day of the Korean war. However several of my cousins did serve in Vietnam, one was badly wounded and killed himself a few months later, I also had an Aunt who served as an Army Nurse(major) in Vietam, she was wounded, and earned a Bronze Star-Like the saying goes, s*it happens, then you die. I survived 24 months in Vietnam without a scratch, and was almost killed in Korea in a training accident.
I normally don’t agree with anything on any of these posts….but this was a really nice observance to the vets (including myself-served on a sub for 5 years). I didn’t expect to see something like this out here.
Another observance, most of the people posting about vets of WWII agreed it was a good idea to take out Hitler. This guy in Iran has almost all the same qualities as Hitler, plus a unique vision of Islam that make him more dangerous, at least in my opinion. What are any of your thoughts on what to do with Ahmadinejad?
Trich, funny story about the Draft Board. I would have done the same thing thinking…”What are you going to do, send me to sea”!!
Well, let’s see. Hitler…OH YEAH! He declared WAR on us. That guy in Iran……crickets….crickets well, looks like that’s your answer! Much like the founding fathers I really don’t care to much what he does to his fellow Iranians. Like I felt about that fellow in Iraq, if the people who live there don’t care for him, take him out back and put one in his ear. But he’ll kill lots of them you might say, tough, like the saying goes, freedom isn’t free, go fight and in all probability die for your country. How bout we invest the gazillion wasted dollars spent killing a whole bunch of folks who NEVER did a single thing to me or mine in renewable energy sources? Then the entire middle east can go pound…WAIT for ITTT, SAND up their kiesters.
secularhumanizinevoluter @ 95
You do recall he has said he would like to wipe the Israeli’s off the face of the earth and bring us down. Is this something not to be take seriously?