One hundred and one years ago tomorrow morning at 5 a.m., in a railroad carriage at Compiegne, France, Germany signed the armistice to end The Great War. The fighting stopped six hours later, at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The formal state of war was declared over on June 28, 1919, with the Treaty of Versailles. The United States, however, did not ratify the treaty. Our involvement continued until July 2, 1921, when President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution. Over 17 and a half million people, soldiers and civilians, lost their lives in this conflict.
November 11 is a national holiday in many Allied nations. Some countries renamed it Remembrance Day, while America calls it Veterans Day. The United States salutes and honors all veterans, living and dead, on this day with parades and restaurants offering free meals to veterans. For comparison, Memorial Day, celebrated in May, is a national remembrance of those killed in action. This holiday predates World War I.
My family has an extensive history of serving. My grandfather was in The Great War. He worked the mule teams to unload the ships in France. All of my uncles served, one in World War II on gliders. My dad served in the Air Force between the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict. My sister and I were in the Air Force. Numerous cousins and friends also served time in our military.
I can’t say “Thank you” enough to all my service family members, or those who serve. You do an amazing job in foreign lands and across the USA. It is because of you we are a free nation. Thank you so much for serving this country.
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. My review of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ, is on Goodreads, Amazon, and Book Bub. I’m currently reading The Self-Aware Life by Nancy S. Kay.