REMEMBER THOSE WHO SERVED
REMEMBER THOSE WHO SERVED
History of Veterans Day
World War I — known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
In Nov. 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 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 …”
The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared Nov. 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on Nov. 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, 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 (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Later that same year, on Oct. 8, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” which stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”
The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.
The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on Oct. 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.
Veterans Day continues to be observed on Nov. 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to Nov. 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Editor’s note: This history of Veterans Day was compiled by the U.S. department of Veterans Affairs.
A bill signed by President Gerald R. Ford returned
the observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11.
MSAD 4 to honor veterans on Nov. 10
GUILFORD — Maine School Administrative District 4 students and staff invite area veterans and the community to attend a multimedia presentation celebrating those who have and are still serving in the armed forces.
The Veterans Day observance will be held Monday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. at Piscataquis Community Secondary School in Guilford.
This longstanding tradition of honoring veterans in a very special way that brings the community together will be facilitated by the National Honor Society and will include students from grades 3-12.
The program will also be live-streamed on the SAD 4 website at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sad4.
Highlights include:
• Third graders will form a receiving line with small flags to greet veterans.
• Featured performances by the PCSS band and chorus
• Armed Forces theme song salute
• Live Skype session with Elaine Riitano, 2013 PCSS graduate currently serving in the United States Navy.
• Bangor Marine League will provide formal honor guard, presentation of colors, flag folding and taps.
Some of the songs to be performed include “For the Good of the Many,” “All American Me and You,” “American Tears,” “This Land is Your Land,” “God Bless America,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “America the Beautiful.”
Staff involved in the Veterans’ Day presentation include PCSS Principal John Keane, Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick, PCHS teachers Erick Murray and Heather Doherty, PCES music teacher Michelle Briggs, PCSS ed tech Adam Brown, PCSS music director Paavo Carey and PCES phys ed teacher Cheryl Allen.
Preferential parking will be available for disabled veterans.
Veterans, families and friends are invited to visit the cafeteria following the program for light refreshments.
Penquis Valley to honor those who served
MILO — The annual veterans’ ceremony at the Penquis Valley School, 48 Penquis Drive, will take place on Monday, Nov. 10 at 1:45 p.m. All veterans and community members are welcome. For more information, please contact Shannon Bishop at 943-3151.
‘A Salute to Veterans’ at Greenville Schools
GREENVILLE — The students and staff at the Greenville Schools have been hard at work preparing a tribute called “A Salute to Veterans” for the heroes who have served and are serving in the U.S. military.
The celebration will be held on Monday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. in the Oakes Auditorium at the school and is expected to run for about an hour.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend and honor all veterans.
Veterans and current military members are asked to wear their uniforms or other clothing that will distinguish them as military personnel past or present.
Guests may enter at the side door beginning at 12:30 p.m., however, if you or a member of your group requires use of the elevator, please use the rear entrance where the superintendent’s office is located; students will be there for assistance.
The program includes patriotic musical selections by students from all grades, poetry readings and presentations of student work in honor of veterans.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
Observer file photo
SALUTING OLD GLORY — Piscataquis Community Elementary School students waved American flags while singing a patriotic song at last year’s Veterans Day ceremony.
Monson American Legion and DAR to hold Veterans Day ceremony
MONSON — Tisbury Manor Chapter DAR and the Monson American Legion will hold their annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Monson Town Hall, starting at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9.
The indoor observance will take place in the meeting room. The speakers will be Estella Bennett, Bill Lindie and Marion Lindie Brown on “Elmer Lindie: Monson’s World War I Hero.”
A wreath will be laid at the veteran’s monument following the ceremony. Refreshments will be served.
For more information or directions, contact Nancy Battick at 564-3576 and visit www.tisburymanordar.org.
A Tribute to our Veterans
By Don Benjamin
Every veteran has a story — probably a lot of stories, most of which are better forgotten or left untold. However, this one is light-hearted and supports the expression that, “the old can be new again.”
March 23, 1951, U.S. Naval Receiving Station, Newport, Rhode Island. Boot camp Company 201 had just completed one of its earliest and most miserable drilling performances and the company commander, a much-decorated, former Japanese prisoner of war was berating his newly-minted charges, 120 of us, for being inept, two-left-footed, unable to keep a cadence where “by the right flank” was a foreign language. The invective was non-stop, the words, “salty,” really, “salty.” In one spoken sentence, we relived John Paul Jones; heard about wooden ships and iron men, finally to be told we’d never shovel coal into the boilers of a Navy ship. We might have been offended had we not recognized the character assault was a part of “indoctrination.”
Jump forward some two years, May 1953. Thousands of sea miles had separated me from boot camp days, and prompted the opportunity to move to shore duty in Bremerhaven, Germany. The Korean conflict was still raging. The “cold war” with the Russians was very real, and for a handful of American military personnel, a mere hundred miles separated peace from confrontation.
The chill of the North Sea winds was being broken by the onset of spring, and with that seasonal change came the reminder of why a small cadre of sailors was assigned to this unique American enclave in the British zone of occupied Germany. In part, we were there to evacuate to England the entire military garrison and all dependents should the Russians have decided to make good on their threats.
Evacuation boats and their crew assignments became the “orders of the day.” The nameless craft, identified only by numbers displayed on the printed “orders,” revealed nothing about the vessels or their history. But that all changed when one of those huge olive drab Army buses drew to a stop on the quay that separated an inner harbor from the Weser River.
We were alongside a low-profiled, uniformly gray wood boat of simple lines. On deck forward was a pedestal-mounted machine gun; the superstructure was barely one deck high and just aft of mid-ships was a tall, single funnel. The remaining deck aft was open and clear with the exception of a hatch or two from superstructure to stern. The petty officer in charge of his assigned crew identified our “escape vessel” as a former German mine sweeper that had become part of the World War II reparations. And, by the way, he casually said, “She burns coal!”
Each crewmember learned and practiced all the assignments the little ship required. From the bridge to the machine gun to the boiler room, over several days our on-board training was completed.
It hadn’t taken long during my stint shoveling coal from the storage bin, passing it through the firebox door and spreading it evenly across the already burning bed of glowing ash that a long-ignored and forgotten memory came flooding back. Here I was shoveling coal on a wood boat! The composite picture of my boot camp commander and the shoveled coal belied all those words of “endearment” uttered years before. What he touted as “old” Navy had, for a privileged few, had become “new” again.
Contributed photo
MEETING IN VIETNAM — Wayne Bennett of Abbot, left, and Ashton Reardon of Guilford managed to get together for a brief visit in August 1970 at Long Beach, Vietnam.