Posted on November 11, 2014
By Sherri Simmons, President and CEO
At this time in 1918, armistice was declared between the Allied Nations and Germany, temporarily halting hostilities, signaling the end of World War I – and foreshadowing World War II.
In 1919,
President Woodrow Wilson set aside November 11th as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. And in 1926, Congress formally declared
Armistice Day a legal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace, honoring American Veterans of the first World War.
As we know, world peace was not achieved – and in 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress expanded Armistice Day to
Veterans Day in honor all who have served in our armed forces.
A quote from
Voltaire pretty much sums up why we as Americans should bestow such honor upon our Veterans:
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
As Americans we don’t always agree with the direction of our country, our leaders or the media. But, we can agree to disagree – and do so without the fear of being stoned to death, put before a firing squad or tortured in some obscure military prison.
This is why we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of our U.S. Veterans. I’m sure you are like the rest of us – you don’t always agree with what we may say and do – but you put your lives on the line so we and future generations of Americans have this very precious freedom. God bless you.