The 11th Day of the 11th Month

Heroes walk among us in the Golden Isles.

hey are our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. They are our neighbors, our ministers, our service people, our retirees, our politicians and our friends. They don’t seek recognition, but statistics show that over 70,000 of these heroes live in our area of southeast Georgia. They share one important title: Veteran.

On Saturday, November 11, the Golden Isles community will gather to celebrate the valor and bravery of its veterans. Veterans Day allows us to pause amidst the demands of our busy lives and remember all those who served honorably in both war and peace-time military. These brave individuals, both living and dead, protected our cherished rights and freedoms.

Originally known as Armistice Day, the date was set aside to mark the day in 1918 when World War I hostilities ended. Greeted by rejoicing at home and abroad, the end of that war was solemnized by a ceremony at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of that bleak eleventh month. World War I is known as “The Great War” because humanity at the time could not imagine anything worse.

One year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as a day for all Americans to demonstrate “solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the (continues) “Those who served in combat all have a fellow service person they lost in battle. Stateside and peacetime veterans also have experienced loss, as age and time have caught up with us. It’s poignant and very emotional; we were brothers and sisters in arms serving our country.”

country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation that changed the name to Veterans Day.

Dave Olender, chair of the Veterans Council of the Golden Isles, described the passion that veterans have for November 11. “Literally

every veteran I know holds this day sacred. It’s a day for all Americans to pause and think, but for veterans, it is also extremely personal. Those who served in combat all have a fellow service person they lost in battle. Stateside and peacetime veterans also have experienced loss, as age and time have caught up with us. It’s poignant and very emotional; we were brothers and sisters in arms serving our country. All of us need to stand up, salute the flag, and remember.”

Over time, proposed legislation has attempted to alter Veterans Day and expand it to a three-day weekend. Veterans groups around the country lobby fiercely to halt that attempt. Olender explains veterans’ resistance to that change, “Expanded weekend holidays turn into a grill-fest and lose their meaning. The event on November 11 was originally tied to the end of ‘The Great War,’ World War I, but it has expanded to include all veterans in both peace and war-time service. Since the American Revolution, nearly three million U.S. casualties have occurred. That number includes combat deaths, non-combat deaths, wounded and missing in action. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives in World War I and in subsequent conflicts to preserve our freedoms. So we are

adamant that the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month be preserved as a reminder of what veterans have sacrificed for all of us.”

In keeping with that tradition, the local ceremony begins promptly at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, and is preceded by the official Veterans Day Parade. The parade will assemble at Mallory Park on St. Simons Island beginning at 9:45 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., the parade will march from Mallory Park, east on Mallory Street to Neptune Park and the Casino. Promptly at 11:00 a.m., the official ceremony will begin with the Presentation of Colors and National Anthem. The community is invited to help commemorate this special day. In particular, it is an excellent way for parents and grandparents to teach children the special honor of national service. (continues)

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The service anthem portion of the Veterans Day program evokes strong emotion from veterans and civilians alike. Veterans from each branch of service stand while their familiar stirring music is played, many singing along. All five branches of service are included. Traditionally, anthems are played in the order of when the service branch was founded. The beginning stanzas are familiar to many. Army: “Over hill, over dale, we have hit the dusty trail …” Marines: “From the halls of Montezuma …” Navy: “Anchors away, my boys …” Air Force: “Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…” and Coast Guard: “From North and South and East and West, The Coast Guard’s in the fight …”

The ceremony features a guest speaker each year and also recognizes the Veteran of the Year. Glynn County enjoys a wide diversity of military organizations, from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, Military Officers Association of America, Disabled American Veterans, the Sons of the American Revolution, Coastal Georgia Honor Flight and many more.

In honor of Veterans Day, we share the words to “Taps,” that haunting bugle call played by the United States Armed Forces at dusk and on Memorial Day, during flag ceremonies and at military funerals. Taps is both a call at the end of day and a tribute to those who gave the last full measure of devotion.

TAPS

Day is done, gone the sun, From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days, ‘Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars, ‘neath the sky. As we go, this we know God is nigh.

Please join your fellow citizens in this community celebration of our veterans. For more information, visit the Veterans Council of the Golden Isles at myvcgi.com and follow them on Facebook @VCGIGA.

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