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VETERANS DAY
REMEMBER AND HONOR
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Friday, Nov. 10, 2023
The Sentinel
By Mark DeVecchis Most of us will say “Thank you for your service,” to those who have served or are serving in our military! Why do we thank our military soldiers and veterans? How many of our current generation know what military service is?
Nation has been involved in – including Vietnam whose veterans never get the full honor and credit they deserve. There were over 500+ Medal of Honor Recipients in that war. The Medal of Honor Museum clearly states that the Medal of Honor is presented for; “Gallantry in action, intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty. Risk of life, selflessness, exemplary action, unwavering devotion, conspicuous gallantry, and extraordinary heroism. The words enshrined with the Medal of Honor citations capture the best of what it means to be human.”1
Many young people still do enlist in the military, at different times for different reasons – but they do it. I would like to pause, explore, and give thought to this phrase, “Thank you for your service.” Remember, this is Veteran’s Day – we honor all those who have served in the military. Those current, past, present, and some forgotIn our country war makten. ing powers are granted in the Constitution of the The United States of United States under ArtiAmerica. Our Country, cle 1, Section 8, Clause 11, Our Homeland. Our place Declarations of War. It’s of Freedom. We give free- written, in part: “The Condom. We share freedom. gress shall have Power…To And we, as a nation, have declare War…” paid a tremendous price for that freedom. Some today We have all heard the don’t grasp or understand saying, “either you stand that sacrifice, but our fore- for something, or you stand fathers and following gen- for nothing” – that is the erations knew and stepped way it is for our Country. up to the plate when need- It also requires good, effied. They were in the de- cient, and honest leaderclared wars: The American ship; and it requires good, Revolution, against the honest citizens willing to United Kingdom; Mexican defend it. That is why we American War; Spanish are a government of the American War; World War People, by the people, and I against Japan, Germany, for the people – and WE and Hungary; According are the people. When our to the Library of Congress, Country called for help, World War II against Japan many responded. and a few days later Germany and Italy declared war For thousands it was on the United States. They a reality kick in the butt were also in the undeclared when they realized they wars or actions taken by were going to war. For othour government – perhaps ers it was a sobering efin conjunction with the fect when the thrill of the United Nations. Two such recruitment, the plans to wars, Korean and Vietnam leave, dreams of duty with were not declared. That friends hyping each other certainly didn’t make them up and talk of exploits – “less of a war.” Soldiers still would be met with reality fought and returned, many Each eager and ready to do were wounded, and many “his duty” for preservation. died. National heroes were Excitement and stories yet made in all the wars our to come of places visited,
and bravado starts to fade as the day draws near, now second guessing the decision until finally boarding that bus to the base. New friends, anticipation, excitement, heart pumping, nervous energy – and then reality – full smack in the face. The life everyone knew just changed. Thoughts are formed as training continues – training to do everything by command and those who argue that they don’t want to get up at 3 or 5 AM, only to be suddenly jarred awake as the mattress is upended and they are dumped out of bed onto the floor being given only minutes to get everything back in shape. An early lesson in obeying orders. Marching, drilling, yelling, bayonet, drilling, more yelling – sweating, exhausted, falling on the ground, eating dirt, pulled to your feet – you don’t stop until you are told you can. Those drafted ask, why me, why am I here? Those who enlisted at this point ask, “Why did I do this?” Some are thinking this is better than where I came from and there are those who love it. But all that are there are going through the same thing. Hair is the same, clothing – the same; the bunks, showers, sleeping and waking hours – and your share of cleaning the bunks and restrooms and showers to perfection are the same for everyone; A DI (Drill Instructor) yelling in their face is the same for everyone and tomorrow, well, tomorrow, is more of the same. Classroom study is the same as is everything from shooting the currently used military rifle, grenades, mortars – and running, more running, climbing, crawling, sweating, and eating dirt. And it is hot – and there are mosquitoes, but you will not kill one of those or you could be required to bury it
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– in a grave you will dig. It boils down to taking orders and obeying them without thought – that is what will keep you as close to alive in a true-life battle situation. You will make a short call home to let the family know you are ok and then it is back to basics. Quicker than anticipated graduation comes, and you are to be shipped out – either within the United States or to one of approximately 650 (current) United States bases around the world. Some relatively safe – some not. Some possibly in a combat zone. For those from 1965 to 1973, it was wartime in Vietnam. In the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, WWI, WWII, the decision to declare war (meaning both houses of Congress voted to approve it as did the President of the United States) was apparent and palpable. Our land, our citizens were under attack. All those things enumerated in the Declaration of Independence led to war with Britain. In the Civil War it was secession by almost half the states attempting to withdraw from the Union to save the institution of slavery and/or states rights depending on who you talked to. World War I was the sinking of the Lusitania which had Americans on board, and that infuriated the Country – and World War II was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Japan intentionally led a surprise attack hoping to cripple the United States Navy in order to keep us out of the war. Even though Hawaii was the location for the United States Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii would not become a state until 1959.
War from 1950 to 1953, and Vietnam from 1965 when Marines came ashore, to 1973 when the last American military unit pulled out, and both were undeclared wars. Looking at undeclared wars one cannot help but ask, how does this work – how does Congress or a President, without a declaration, send troops into these cauldrons? We started to take over in Vietnam from the French as far back as the Eisenhower Administration hoping to stop the encroachment of Communism. John Kennedy would send advisors, then instructors. Eventually our troops were fighting in Vietnam. While that discussion is much more in depth than this article has time for, the one thing that has consistently stood out is that American men and women responded – they still do and still will. Our soldiers fight whether enlisted or drafted. Another factor that influenced the public’s view of Vietnam – it was the first war to have wall to wall television coverage. The adage, “War is hell” is not only correct, but now the everyday American was seeing what actually happened in war as opposed to hearing casualty figures over the radio or seeing them in the newspaper. The American Revolutionary War was up close and personal, but many people believe that changed after the advent of long-range guns, missiles and modern ships became common. People who fought in more recent wars, including Vietnam know better – and we should too.
The soldiers in Vietnam did what their country asked of them. The same thing that has happened Other notable engage- historically since that year ments were the Korean 1776. Yet there is a drastic
inequality in our country’s recognition of the Vietnam veterans. Consider the recognition of soldiers in the Revolutionary War, World War I or II. At the end, the soldiers had done their duty marching, fighting, sacrificing, under unbearable conditions – they were hailed as heroes as they should have been, having won battles and eventually a war that was up close and personal and was supported by the government and population. And heroes they were.
In the Vietnam War, when it was over and the soldiers had done their duty marching, fighting, sacrificing, enduring unbearable conditions, and winning they saw the war stopped and given up as a political decision or pawn. The were not supported by the government and some of the populace protested them. Many believed we lost Vietnam – and perhaps we did theoretically because of government’s poor leadership. The soldiers never lost a battle. And heroes they were.
In one war, soldiers were celebrated for what they accomplished with ticker tape parades and marches down Wall Street in New York City – and in the other, war soldiers were flown back in the dark, in nondescript planes, and slipped quietly back into society while others were accosted by protestors yelling, screaming, spitting on and attacking them both physically and verbally for what they did – and that was fighting for their country. These heroes fought through unspeakable horrors – and this time the nation saw what they had to endure on television. On top of this, they then watched on television as we pulled out under the (continued on page 3)
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(continued from page 2) guise of a “successfully negotiated compromise” between the North and the South as Vietnamese hung onto the skids of the helicopters to escape. Another factor impacting the perception of the Vietnam War was the propaganda from the opposing forces that was most likely aided and abetted by the country’s enemies both internally and externally. Remember when Jane Fonda went to Vietnam? She has admitted that posing on the North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun was a major error and has apologized for doing so. She does not apologize for going to North Vietnam. I wonder what implications she caused for those soldiers on the ground?2 Why was she not treated as a traitor, arrested, and put in jail for collaborating with the enemy? Our soldiers had trained hard, fought hard, endured the injuries, sweat, and tears. They lost legs, arms, eyesight, and their lives. One only has to read accounts of any war to see the traumatic hardships they went through both mentally and physically. Jane Fonda’s life went on unimpeded – and to what purpose did she do what she did? Notoriety? Publicity?, or should we, as Author Dan Bongino’s book title suggests, “Follow the Money”. Where was the support to those American “fellow citizens” who were fighting? Where was her concern for Prisoners of War? How many can we account for? Are any still there? Who are the culprits? It wasn’t Jane Fonda, but your family members who put on the uniform to do what was expected. Personally, I think she should have been put on a plane and flown over Hanoi for a HALO (High Altitude; Low Opening) jump. Parachute optional.
Lewistown, PA—B3
The Sentinel
war, so in my opinion, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, and his cronies, were directing the war at his whim. Those of us who lived through that war will remember him on television saying, “Tomorrow we are going to bomb Hanoi”.3 Tell the enemy you are going to launch a major effort-what was the purpose of that? So they could remove their soldiers, equipment and be ready? Consider the report from a friend of mine that was a navigator on one of the announced B-52 bombing runs over Hanoi during that time. These slower moving planes were ordered, according to him, to fly the same air route, the same elevation, and the same direction – spaced equally apart. These slower moving bombers did not have the mobility for quick evasive action. And the second part to this a little later in the war, the bombers were to be escorted by fighter jets which was a good idea until the caveat: Do not engage the enemy until they are airborne or fire at you. That in essence means don’t bomb their airports, don’t bomb Cambodia where many of the enemy went for safety – wait until they are airborne and then go after them. Bottom line – for our Air Force it was almost a suicide run.
Soldiers in the era of Vietnam did not run to Canada or evade the draft in any way. Some enlisted and others went when called because that is what you do when you value your country. Because these soldiers came home to hateful, violent protests many to this day keep their identity as a Vietnam Veteran a secret. That is a travesty. They obeyed orders and completed what they were allowed to do in a war that was more of a political game for lame politicians. I also have great As stated earlier, Viet- admiration for these solnam was not a declared diers, after what they had
been through that they did not deal with protesters in a different way but allowed for the freedom of speech to be exercised. This was one of our freedoms for which they fought. These soldiers can stand as tall and strong as any that ever lived – I don’t care what war. They are no different than those Americans who liberated the innocent at the Buchenwald concentration camp, or fought at the Meuse Argonne in World War I, or at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Doing those death-defying acts – sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but never giving up. A comparative analysis of a few battles from past wars with those in Vietnam, will show that battles and fighting were extremely similar. World War I “At 5:30 A.M. on September 26th, 1918, after a threehour artillery bombardment, Pershing launched his attack. Despite heavy fog, rugged terrain, and the network of barbed wire, American soldiers quickly overran the Germans’ forward positions. For the rest of September, the 1st Army plodded forward. Heavy rains turned the terrain to mud, which bogged down tanks and artillery and slowed resupply efforts. The Germans used the delay to bring in reinforcements, and German artillery rained down fire from the heights of the Meuse and the Argonne Forest. The advance became a continuous series of bloody, hard-fought engagements.” Over 26,000 soldiers were killed in action.4 World War II Battle of the Bulge – Lasting six brutal weeks, from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, the assault, also called the Battle of the Ardennes, took place
during frigid 20 degree weather conditions, with some thirty German divisions attacking battle-fatigued American troops across 85 miles of the densely wooded Ardennes Forest. As the Germans drove into the Ardennes, the Allied line took on the appearance of a large bulge, giving rise to the battle’s name. The battle proved to be the costliest ever fought by the U.S. Army, which suffered over 100,000 casualties (killed in action, wounded and missing). The formerly serene, wooded region of Ardennes was hacked into chaos by fighting as the Americans dug in against the German advance at St. Vith, Elsenborn Ridge, Houffalize and, later, Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division. The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States in WWII.5
surrounding area. Even though planned, delays caused the rest of the task force to be without artillery support for a full day. Heavy casualties (over 10,000) resulted between the horrendous weather, misguided decisions, and an overwhelming force. “Despite heavy casualties, the men drove the CCF off most of the hill. Many, however, simply keep going over the hill and down the other side…” In driving the CCF off the Hill, they suffered another 1,000 casualties. In another day and another time, Hill 937, known today as Hamburger Hill in Vietnam, would resonate closely to some aspects of this battle.6 Here are three examples of battles fought in Vietnam:
In Vietnam, the Tet offensive ranks right up there with the other major battles American’s fought in. As part of the Tet Offensive, there was a particular The Korean War, battle known in part to the sometimes referred to as soldiers as “Hamburger the other forgotten war. Hill”, Hill 937 or Dong Ap Bia. Just the foreshadow of Battle of Chosin Reservoir this hills nickname gives us a clue as to its intensity. This was to be the final offensive for the U.N. In the wake of this batforces, only to be met with tle in May 1969, there was hundreds of thousands no such clarity in Amerof attacking soldiers of ica, where anti-Vietnam the Chinese Communist War protests were in full Forces (CCF) who forced swing and elected lawmakthe U.N. forces, of which ers (Senator Ted Kennedy), Americans were a part, to loudly decried the bloody the South taking extreme- Battle of Hamburger Hill, ly heavy casualties. Push- a 10-day meat grinder that ing South they came to the left 72 U.S. soldiers dead Chosin Reservoir, where and three hundred more the 7th Infantry Division wounded. But the endurwas all but annihilated. It ance of our soldiers, the is known that during this repeated assaults up this extremely hard-fought hill, over and over twelve battle that temperatures times, the bravado of pilots dropped to either 35 or in foul weather flying heli54 degrees below zero de- copters in to get the woundpending on the source. ed out is truly amazing. The situation quickly grew worse.Heavy fire from the Large helicopters could flanks killed many of the not get close enough as wounded in the trucks. The they would hit their rofire grew more intense as tors trying to go up the Hill the column reached Hill in the fog to remove the 1221, which dominated the wounded. Small observa-
tion helicopter pilots came in and carefully went up the Hill, reaching the top safely, under combat, to remove those wounded in the battle as it continued.7
In one instance, an officer couldn’t believe they were ordered back up the hill, but he would follow orders. When he told his men to “saddle up” they asked, “Whatta we do when we get up there, Lieutenant?” The response: Kick the f’rs off the hill” to which the response was “Oh. Okay. It’s good to have a plan you know.” Laughing, they moved back up that Hill.8
At one point, Joel Trautmann’s men said they were not going back up again. Not knowing for sure what to do, “He picked up his rifle and walked through them as they sat on the ground, saying he was going up the hill. They followed him.”9
A soldier named Just, explains in his own words: “…That those who argued that Hamburger Hill was ‘not worth a single dead American’ missed the point for ‘that is not the way it goes in South Vietnam. It never has. An army is fielded, and if it is a good army, it fights. If it must fight against an entrenched enemy on a hill, then that is what it does. The war does not take place in a classroom or on the pages of a newspaper, and it is not fought by…men who read headlines.’” Another veteran of the battle didn’t learn that the army had withdrawn from the Hill until a few weeks later. After a month in the jungle, “watching your uniform rot off your body, your boots rot, having them (the military) come out with big bags of replacement uniforms, you can’t imagine – we didn’t know, we just didn’t know what was going on in the world.” General Zais from New Bedford said, “We didn’t (continued on page 4)
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(continued from page 3) retreat from that hill. We left it because we had defeated the enemy.”10 This war is also known as the first “helicopter war”, and Hugh Mills, upon entering the service had never flown before and after basically a crash course he became an observation helicopter pilot. Small and fast the OH-6 was an unarmed helicopter that would go in close to the trees of the jungle, looking for openings or areas where enemy combatants would be, and then radio the information to the attack helicopters where they were so they could be attacked.
appearing in the jungle only to come out somewhere else. Tunnels were also used to cut down the number of deaths seen and counted by taking the bodies into these tunnels, cutting out areas on the side wall and placing the bodies there – showing less casualties than there were.
The pilot of one of these small helicopters had this Pictured above is the cover to say after a battle: of Low Level Hell, by Hugh “God, what a battle! I L. Mills Jr. thought over and over to DeVicchis quotes one of myself. Official after-action the helicopter pilots reports listed three U.S. featured in Mills’ writing. soldiers killed in the attack, twenty wounded, and forty-one enemy killed. But forty-one bodies were all the enemy left to be counted; as my observations had confirmed, scores of their dead and wounded had been dragged from the field and left hastily buried just a few yards into the jungle. I have often heard it said that an aviator fights an impersonal war, that he never sees, hears, or smells the close-up reality of the battlefield. But on 13 May, 1969, looking down into that pit of death and devastation at Gela, Crockett and I knew the reality of war.”11 Mills flew over 2000 combat hours in the OH-6 and more than 1300 combat hours in the AH-1 in Vietnam. He was shot down 16 times, 15 times in the OH6.12 His decorations included the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Gallantry Cross with Silver Star and Palm, Armed Forces Honor Medal, First Class, and the Civil Actions Medal First Class. He was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2011.13 Lieutenant Colonel Hugh L. Mills, Jr., is now a retired Lt. Colonel, United States Army officer who served in the Vietnam War.
Friday, Nov. 10, 2023
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This was the factor in determining who was winning. At any point Americans could encounter the enemy – the only usable firearm in close confines were pistols or automatic handguns. Many went to a .22 caliber because of the louder noise created by larger handguns in such close confines.Not only did they have to be on the lookout for enemy soldiers as they crawled through the stench and filth in extreme temperatures and putting their hands into decaying bodies in the side walls, but the Vietcong also put poisonous spiders and snakes into these tunnels, not to mention poisonous gas. Extrication in such cases is extremely too slow. Our soldiers entered those tunnels and flushed the enemy out. When available,gas fumes were pumped into the tunnels as another means to flush the enemyout. The soldier ready to enter has no shirt on, and
Vietnam also had its “American Tunnel Rats”.
within the tunnel he isrubbing up against the sides as well as the top and bottom in the smaller tunnels. Explosives were also used to collapse the tunnels thus burying the soldiers alive. And while this seems like some unbelievable and remote situation, there arethose living in Lewistown who were Tunnel Rats. We are again seeing the usage of tunnels today in the Israeli/Hamas War. In Vietnam tunnels were either strongly fortified or just cut into the earth. With these comparative examples, we can see that the soldiers fighting in Vietnam were fighting just as those were in every other war the United States was in. They did not let us down – some in this country left them down. What is noteworthy is that our soldiers in the Vietnam War maintained their honor and integrity. Protesters should thank God they are still alive and change their ways. The soldiers honorably maintained the “Soldiers Creed”: “I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat”. Or the Marines: “Honor – this is the bedrock of our character. It is the quality that empowers Marines to exemplify the ultimate in ethical and moral behavior: to never lie, cheat, or steal; to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity; to respect human dignity; and to have respect and concern for each other.” And 58,000 died. And think about that again – fifty-eight thousand died. Many of us knew many of them. They were high school buddies, friends, and neighbors. When a soldier dies doing his duty, some of his family dies with him; when he dies doing his duty, some of Amer-
ican dies with him; when soldiers were doing their duty, mocked, and brought home in the dark of night on non-military planes in civilian clothes, some of the soldier died and America wept. While on Veterans Day we recognize all our veterans who have and are serving – we must never forget those soldiers who did the same and were in the Vietnam War. Today it needs to be singled out and those heroes need recognition for what they did. There was in that time, an undercurrent in the United States of those protesting and evading the war as well as hating those who did serve for one reason or another. We as Americans cannot allow this type of attitude to again infiltrate our Country and our Congress. To me, that was much the same as what we are seeing today in the anti-American protests. That fire needs extinguished! We are Americans. A country unlike any other in the world – and those of us who love this Country and what it stands for are “all in.” You can’t love your country half. This war has been hushed up for way too long – and should never have been to begin with. These young men served when asked. They didn’t run to Canada or anywhere else. They did what their fathers and mothers did in World War I, II, Korean – any war the United States was involved in and still do. We also cannot forget those who were in the military at that time but not in that country. It takes an organization to support a military – there are the logistics of plane coordination, supplies such as missiles, torpedoes, ammunition, clothing, food, water, equipment, ships, submarines, the manufactures who make the jets, planes, guns, ships – the list goes on and on.
They fought the unseen in America enemy in Vietnam and Thank you for doing suffered the consequencwhat your fathers, es of the unseen enemy at grandfathers and forefahome. Our military men thers did against those and women were treated same type odds disgracefully by a porThank you for your tion of those here on safe American determination soil who were reaping the Thank you for doing blessings of our Nation. what you did when some How do they, the protest- people at home had their ers, account for themselves head – and what they did to these well, you know where. soldiers after all they have Thank you for fighting been through – who were against all hope in bathopefully coming home to tles and coming out on a place of refuge. They did top while their job, they did it well also losing friends. and in some ways the gov- Thank you for not quiternment left them down. ting when every bone in Many died. your body said it was time. So the next time you see You have proven time that Vietnam Veteran Hat, and again you are not or that of any other mili- only winners – you are in tary branch of service, recevery ognize when you say thank respect of the word an you for your service, the AMERICAN HERO! knowledge of what these That is why we say: veterans did – for our coun“THANK YOU FOR try – for you – and thinking YOUR SERVICE!” about what they have gone Happy Veterans Day to through not only in Vietall our Veterans! nam, but here at home. For God Bless you all! you are possibly looking FOOTNOTES: into to the eyes of a man 1. Medal of Honor Museum, who had his best friend www.cmohs.org, accessed blown apart, been shot at, 10/15/23. wounded, or perhaps lost 2. www.quora.com, accessed as a prisoner of war – but 10/20/23 3. www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ without a doubt, you may documents/statement-the-presbe looking at someone who identhas seen enough hurt, sad- announcing-resumpness, pain, and humilia- tion-air-strikes-north-vietnam 4. Meuse Army Heritage, www. tion than any human being armyheritage.org/soldier-stoshould be asked to endure – riesthe same as veterans from information..accessed 10/15/23 all our other wars. They 5. Battle of the Bulge, www. history,com/topics/world-warstood for something. They ii/battle-of-thestood for the United States, bulge, accessed 10/15/23 they stood for giving free- 6. Nightmare at the Chosin dom, and they stood for Reservoir, www.armyhistory. org/nightmare-at themselves and those who the-Chosin-Reservoir/, achave gone before them. To cessed 10/15/23 all our Vietnam Veterans 7. James Wright, Enduring Vietnam, Thomas Dunne and others: Thank you for responding to your Country’s call Thank you for going Thank you for doing your job again, and again, and again against immense odds Thank you for Staying true Thank you for Believing
Books, 2016, p.63. 8. Ibid. 9. Ibid. 10. Ibid., p. 65 11. Ibid, Low Level Hell, Mills 12. www.listennotescom/ podcasts/you-just-have-to/269shot-down-16times. Accessed 10/27/23 13. https://nationalaviation. org/nahf-class-of-2011-inducteesachievements-span-and-makehistory/ 14. Ibid., Enduring, p.35
Brown Township Supervisors
The Viet Cong and other American enemies in Vietnam had a series of tunnels dug throughout Vietnam with small square openings in the ground but concealed from above. The enemy would move from place to place throughout this series of tunnels. Perhaps they were being overrun by American and South Vietnamese soldiers, they would escape by dis-
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FAQ about Veterans Day Each November, millions of people recognize the service and sacrifice of military veterans on Veterans Day. Initially commemorated as Armistice Day but renamed Veterans Day in the United States in 1954, the holiday is a federal holiday throughout the country. The first Armistice Day was observed in 1919. Despite that lengthy history, the general public may still have questions about Veterans Day. When is Veterans Day observed? The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs notes that Veterans Day is always observed officially on November 11, regardless of which day of the week that happens to be. In 2023, Veterans Day is Saturday, November 11. Because Veterans Day falls on a Saturday in 2023, the federal observation date is Friday, November 10. Why is November 11 so significant? November 11 is a significant day in world history because it marks the signing of the armistice between the Allies of World War I and Germany at 5:45 a.m. on November 11, 1918. Though the formal peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, was not signed until 1919 and hostilities between the sides continued for hours after the armistice was signed, the day is still viewed as the end of World War I. What distinguishes Veterans Day from Memorial Day? The VA notes that Veterans Day honors all those
individuals who served honorably in the miliary during both wartime and peacetime. Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who lost their lives in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. What is the significance of red poppies? Red poppies are ubiquitous on Memorial Day, but they’re also visible on Veterans Day. Though it’s not taboo to wear red poppies on Veterans Day, it’s a tradition that aligns more with Memorial Day. That’s because the poppies are typically worn to honor fallen military personnel. A 1915 poem written by a Canadian Lieutenant Colonel named John McCrae referred to the fields of poppies growing around the graves of World War I soldiers in Flanders.
There is no greater act of honor than serving one’s country in the armed forces. On November 11, Veterans Day, we give tribute to all those men and women who have served or are serving this nation. Thank you for defending America’s freedom and her ideals of justice and equality.
Do other countries honor their military veterans? Many countries across the globe honor their military veterans, and many do so on November 11 as well. For example, Canadians and Australians observe Remembrance Day in honor of their nation’s respective veterans on November 11. Great Britain observes Remembrance Day on the Sunday nearest to November 11. Veterans Day is a day to honor and commemorate the brave men and women who have honorably served in the U.S. military during wartime and peacetime.
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Gestures anyone can embrace in support of veterans Veterans Day is commemorated each year on November 11. The holiday honors the individuals who served in the armed forces for their country.
fered in combat. • Decorate cemeteries. Honor fallen veterans by placing flowers or flags by their gravesites.
Community-wide events tend to be held on November 11, but any day of the year is a good time to pay respect to veterans. On a local level, people can do much to thank veterans for their service and sacrifice.
• Participate in a parade. If your town hosts a Veterans Day or Remembrance Day parade, find out how you can volunteer or be a part of it. Oftentimes parade officials enable youth groups, such as high school marching bands or scout• Provide a free restau- ing troops, to participate in rant meal. Offer to take the parade. out a veteran for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you • Write to the newspaper. see a veteran eating in a Write an op-ed or highlight restaurant, anonymously piece to submit to the newspay the bill for that person. paper about veterans in the community. Mention local • Send care packages. veterans who have unique Communities can gather stories, or speak about the resources and chip in to importance of veterans to make care packages for vet- the community. erans who live in town, and even to send to troops sta• Ask a veteran to speak. tioned elsewhere. Include If you work in a school or foods and comforts from a community center, ask home. veterans to share their experiences with area youth. • Buy from veterans. Seek out veteran-owned • Visit local memorials. businesses in the area, and Spend time visiting memothen make purchases from rials nearby and paying their retail stores or utilize homage to the veterans their services. who devoted their time, or even their lives, to service. • Volunteer at a VA hospital. Spend time with vetCommunity members erans where they receive have plenty of opportunicare for current health ties and ways to give back needs or past injuries suf- to veterans in the area.
They sacrifice so much every day, from spending months away from their families to facing peril on the battlefield. They are our nation’s heroes, the men and women who serve in our armed forces. We commend them on their service and salute all who have died in the name of freedom.
Woodlawn, Lewistown| 717.248.6727 Geoffrey A. Burke, Supervisor
Burnham | 717.248.7853 Michael Shoop, Supervisor
Logan Street, Lewistown | 717.248.7823 Dan Kochenderfer, Supervisor
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