This Saturday marks 99 years since World War I officially ended on Nov. 11, 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
The following year, Americans commemorated the war’s conclusion, establishing Armistice Day in 1919 as an annual observance.
At that time, the first world war was called “the war to end all wars.” The prevailing belief held that mankind would never again descend into the kind of devastation that nearly destroyed Western Civilization and claimed millions of lives for reasons that remain unclear to this day.
History, however, proved such optimism misguided. Within 21 years, the world was engulfed in another global conflict that dwarfed the first, transforming what had seemed catastrophic into merely a prelude to the mass destruction of 1939-45.
Following that second world war, America has engaged in numerous armed conflicts over the past 72 years since General Douglas MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender aboard the Battleship Missouri. Currently, American troops remain deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Niger, and numerous other locations worldwide.
For most of the past century, genuine peace has remained an elusive aspiration rather than a reality.
In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed Veteran’s Day to honor those who served in WWII and the Korean War, and subsequently to recognize all veterans who have answered their nation’s call. This annual tribute expresses America’s gratitude toward the men and women who have sacrificed to preserve the freedoms Americans cherish against the threats we have encountered.
Though Veteran’s Day, like other national holidays, has unfortunately become commercialized, we encourage readers to pause and reflect on what we owe our veterans across all conflicts, expressing genuine appreciation for their service in enabling us to live as free people in the greatest nation on earth.
We also offer a prayer that despite current war rhetoric from Washington, peaceful resolutions will be achieved for today’s conflicts before they develop into full-scale warfare.
Ultimately, Veteran’s Day serves as a reminder that freedom carries a price, and every American bears an immeasurable debt of gratitude to those willing to risk their lives defending our ideals and our way of life.