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 November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 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 War to end all wars unfortunately set the stage for World War II. Once again, brave US soldiers, sailors and marines would be called upon to defeat the enemy. These young men would return and become know as the “Greatest Generation”. They would help lead the United States to the greatest economic prosperity ever seen. They were all veterans.
The Korean War is sometimes called the forgotten in part because it was referred to as a police action at the time. It required no less of an effort for US military to leave their families and loved ones to go and fight in a country most had never heard of. They would come back home and continue to lead the United States to economic prosperity. They were all veterans.
The Vietnam War caused a divide amongst Americans unlike anything seen since the civil war. Young men went off to fight in a far away land but this time they came home not to welcomes but to insults. Those that did not serve looked down on veterans for not being able to get a deferment. Veterans returned without any of the assistance programs available today. Yet there were still proud for they were veterans.
Then an interesting thing happened, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq and the United States military once again, along with other coalition nations, rose up to help liberate another country from occupation. Americans this time began to see military men, and now women, not as some robotic killer but as their own sons and daughters who fought bravely. These veterans were welcomed back to yellow ribbons and invited to stand proud and tall at the Super Bowl.
It wouldn’t be until a decade later though that Americans finally started to rally around their veterans. The attacks of 9/11 caused Americans to embrace the military as both protectors and heroes. Whole communities would come together now to cheer units on as they got ready to deploy and welcome them back upon their return. Soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen received the respect for what they had done and in turn helped America to start recognizing and appreciating the veterans from previous conflicts.
Not since the end of World War II have veterans been so respected by their fellow Americans. Now more than ever,
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