Editor:
Albin Johnson
At 11am, on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the "great guns of the "Great World War" were silenced. In 1919 President Wilson proclaimed November 11th as the first commemoration of the cease-fire. This day was originally called Armistice Day. Within a few years the title was changed in an effort to include ALL war dead. The new title became Remembrance Day and continued as a National Holiday until 1954 when the 83rd US Congress felt it necessary to delete the name Remembrance and change it to Veterans Day in an effort to acknowledge ALL Veterans, both living and dead.Growing up during World War II, I became transfixed with our involvement in Europe and the Pacific fighting. To this day I am overwhelmed by the hostility within peoples of our country, as well as the world. Among most Governments, there must appear a motto which states that all Nations, have "A God given right to fight wars, which results in patriotism, pride, grief, and finally monuments to those 'brave' young men and women who gave their lives and limbs to protect their way of life." WE AMERICANS SOLEMNLY REMEMBER WAR! Previously, I had written about Memorial Day or Decoration Day that is celebrated the later part of May with gravesite flowers, prayers, speeches and bugle calls. This started with the Civil War and then included succeeding wars and veterans who died during peacetime. A computer "GOOGLE" search provided me with a long list of statistics regarding our Nation's War Causality Lists. These started with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, The Civil War with an estimated 618,000 deaths of Americans, Spanish American War, World War I with 116,708 U.S. deaths, World War II with over 400,000 GI's casualties, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, and the 1st and 2nd Persian Gulf Wars. Other minor involvements are not included here. America now honors all Service Personnel who have served, suffered or died throughout our nations history. It is fitting that the Remembrance/Decoration Day name has officially been changed to VETERAN'S DAY. November the 11th remains the official date no matter which day of the week it comes on. Many states and memorable sites will hold services. Washington DC has the new WWII Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, Arlington Cemetery and other sites as well as Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. But, I must now go back to France in 1918. Some Oldsters may remember the movie, "All's Quiet on the Western Front". A WWI war story about Allied soldiers fighting in an area called Flanders, located in France and Belgium. This was trench warfare with huge cannons (Big Bertha) constantly bombarding each others fortifications protected by barbed wire, which crisscrossed the area. The fighting can best be described by the following letter written by an American "Doughboy" to his wife.
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My beloved wife, I do not know how to start this letter. The circumstances are different from any under which I ever wrote before. I am not going to post it, but will leave it in my pocket. If anything happens to me someone will perhaps post it. We are going over the top this afternoon and only God in Heaven knows who will come out of it alive!
This battle inspired others to write stirring messages. Lt Col John MCrae penned this famous Poem: The first 2 verses are as follows.
In Flanders field the poppy's blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
This marks our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely sing,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the dead, short days ago
We loved, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
in Flanders field..
Or, another poem written by Moina Michael: first 2 verses.
Oh you who sleep in Flanders field,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw,
And holding high, we keep the
Faith with all who died,
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grow on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a luster to the red
Of the flower that blooms above
The dead in Flanders field....
These Poems undoubtedly spawned the "Buddy Poppy Program", the VFW Service Organization that adopted the slogan, "Honor the (war) dead by helping the living" (survivors). In 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars decided to adopt the Poppy flower to symbolize an effort to provide a method by which needy and disabled veterans could assemble these artificial flowers for pride and pay. The "Buddy Poppy" has become a registered trademark. As November 11th approaches, look for the VFW volunteer and friend and buy a Poppy or two. You will be saying: THANK YOU TO ALL THAT SERVED. 
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