At 11 o'clock in the morning of the 11th of November, 1918, silence fell across the Western Front.  No shots rang out.  No artillery rounds exploded.  The cease-fire that would lead to the end of World War I had finally been declared.  Around the world, people everywhere celebrated... and mourned.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson made November 11th Armistice Day, a national holiday.  In his proclamation, he said:

"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."

After World War II, a movement began in Emporia, Kansas, to turn Armistice Day into a holiday honoring all vets.  In 1954, Congress officially replaced "Armistice" with "Veterans", and the day has been known as Veterans Day ever since.

Today, we honor all those who have served our country, and remember those who gave their lives in her service.

Without you, we wouldn't be able to do the goofy things we do today.  Thank you.

Posted by: Wonderduck at 12:02 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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