Friday, November 11, 2011

The True Significance of 11/11/11

November 11th is Veteran's Day.  This year, it's 11/11/11.  I've been hearing a lot about how lucky the day is, especially at 11:11 - we should all stop and make a wish.


I'll agree with that.
We should all stop for a moment.

We should definitely stop for a moment, and observe a moment of silence for our Veterans.

We should say a fervent "Thank You" for the sacrifices they have made, so that we could be so lucky.

And yes, maybe it would be good to make a wish.

We could wish for peace.


We could wish for all our Soldiers and Veterans to be safe and protected and taken care of.
We could wish for a world where it is no longer necessary to fight wars.

Veterans Day is an annual holiday in America honoring the 24.9 million military veterans in the United States.  From the Veteran's Affairs website:



Veterans Day is both a federal and state holiday and is usually observed on November 11 each year.

In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world celebrated because after four years of war, the Allied powers signed a cease-fire agreement with Germany, bringing World War I to a close.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of "Armistice Day" with the following 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…"

On May 13, 1938, our government made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day."

Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans."

With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

 And... If you are a Veteran... 

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