Today Is For

This is a day for thanking a Vet or any man/woman serving proudly. I don't care where the soldier is from Fighting for freedom and the rights of humans is worth a thank you from all of us. Today is not only for our Vets from the U.S. Every free nation has sent men and women to war to fight for the right to freedom.


THE ORIGIN OF VETERAN'S DAY
When the end came to World War I, November 11, 1919 was set aside to
commemorate the sacrifices made by American soldiers to gain a lasting
peace for the world. Called Armistice Day, soldiers who survived the war marched in parades through their home towns. Dignitaries and veterans made speeches and held ceremonies of thanks for the peace that had been won. Had WWI been the "war to end all wars," we would probably still observe Armistice Day today. After WWII, Armistice Day continued to be
observed, but Americans realized that there was a need to recognize
those who had made sacrifices in other conflicts. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize
and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. November 11 was designated as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars.
In 1971 President Nixon declared it a federal holiday on the second
Monday in November, but it became apparent that November 11 was too historically significant to bypass, so in 1978 Congress formally
returned the observance of Veterans Day to the customary date of
November 11. This Veterans Day, ceremonies and observances will be held throughout
the country--prayer services, rallies, assembly programs, parades,
patriotic speeches, and grave side flag displays. The Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington D.C. where thousands of service personnel are buried, is the focus of the nation's tribute on Veterans Day.
"We must not forget the past. We must not forget those who sacrificed, but we must also remember the reason for their sacrifice. They died so tyranny would die. They died to create a better world for those of us who followed them. Their sacrifice was not in vain."
Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observing the
50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1991.












In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


John McCrae (1872-1918)

John McCrae was a Canadian physician who fought
On the Western Front in 1914. In the summer of 1915
He was transferred to the medical corps in France.
He died of pneumonia while on active duty in 1918.
'In Flanders Fields' was written during the second battle
Of Ypres. It became the best known poem of the first
World-war.

Be sure to check the pics for more tributes.
(the whole tribute depending on your connection will take about an hour.) My personal favorite is at the end.