Happy Veterans Day

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On the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month in 1918, major hostilities in "the War to End All Wars" ceased with the signing of the Armistice between our Allies and Germany.

Of course, World War I turned out to not end all wars.  Far from it.  In fact, events set in motion in that war and actually in the harsh terms of the Armistice set in motion events that would lead to the current invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and most ominously to World War II.

World War II eclipsed WWI so thoroughly that many of us grew up not really thinking much about it.  We're now 104 years beyond the end of WWI hostilities on November 11, 1918.  For some perspective to which baby boomers like me can relate, John Lennon was killed 42 years ago, meaning for me as a grade school student in 1960, the end of WWI was as recent as Lennon's death is to us today.

If you would like to learn more about World War I in an entertaining manner, check out Ken Follett's novel Fall of Giants.  In many ways, it was a foolish war between European royal cousins trying to win a real-life version of the game of Risk, but it takes nothing away from the valor of those who served.

Veterans of WWI now rest in peace.

 

Veterans Day is for them, and those who fought in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and the Revolutionary War, but it also is for people like my friends Mike, Nick, Sheila, Pete, Joe and myself, who signed up to defend our country in the military in the eras far beyond the trenches of World War I. 

Some had combat experience, like Mike being shelled aboard a Navy ship in Vietnam, while some like me had no greater danger than being put on alert at a missile base in Wyoming. 

If you proudly wore the military uniform for the United States of America, knowing you could be called to put your life on the line to defend your fellow citizens and the freedoms we hold dear, we salute you with heartfelt thanks on November 11 and throughout the year.

You'll see the Arc de Triomphe in Paris at the top.  It was erected to glorify the conquering hero of his day, Napoleon, who over the decades has been painted as both villain and hero, as often happens, because there will always be two ways of looking at all of history.

These days, there are bold attempts to re-write history from the perspective of losers rather than winners, and perhaps in some cases that is logical. 

But the Arc de Triomphe has come to internationally symbolize the valor of military members.  In the case of France, United States soldiers were allied in the coalitions that ejected invading German armies in the twentieth century, and we did not claim Paris as our own in either case, returning it to the French.  That is not the norm in history, but the United States has done something similar many times.  Had Hitler had won WWII, there's absolutely no doubt he would not have been so magnanimous.  Neither were most royal families who ruled countries throughout history, for the most part.

France has many stories to tell about American military valor, and of course France allied with us against England when we won our independence long ago.  If you haven't been, go!

Just as we can see that World War I really wasn't that long ago, we should acknowledge time flies, whether you're battling or having fun.  Make the most of your time.  You can't take it with you!

God bless America, where we still have the freedom to travel wherever we can afford to go, thanks to our veterans and those who serve today!

There's a whole world out there to explore!

I'd love to help you get there.

Wes