Monday
is Veterans Day and I hope you can take time to honor, in your own way, the
Veterans who served our country - whether it is by watching or participating in
the Veterans Day parade which starts at 11:00; or attending the community potluck
at the Oregon Veterans' Home following the parade hosted by the VFW Post and
Auxiliary 2471. Or how about showing your appreciation year-round by deciding
to volunteer at the Wasco County Veterans Service Office.
The
Veterans Service Office works hard to support our veterans and their surviving spouses
by assisting them with veterans claims. This includes disability compensation,
non-service connected pensions for war period veterans, aid and attendance, VA
health care, education benefits, VA loan information, and more. To answer any
questions, Veterans Services Officer Patrick Wilbern will be at the Center from
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 12th. Or you can attend his
presentation at Flagstone Senior Living on November 13th from 1:30 – 3:00.
But
what do you know about Veterans Day? Here are a few facts I found on the U.S.
Department of Defense website.
1) There
is no apostrophe in Veterans Day. The
holiday is not a day that “belongs” to one veteran or multiple veterans, as an
apostrophe would imply. It’s a day for honoring all veterans.
2) Veterans
Day is not the same as Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a time to remember those
who gave their lives for our country. Veterans Day honors all of those who have
served the country in war or peace whether living or not - although it’s
largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.
3) Veterans
Day was originally called Armistice Day commemorating the end of World War I. World
War I officially ended on June 28, 1919. However, the fighting ended when the
Allies and Germany put into effect an armistice on “the eleventh hour of the
eleventh day of the eleventh month”. For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, was
largely considered the end of “the war to end all wars” and dubbed Armistice
Day. In 1926, Congress officially recognized it as the end of the war, and in
1938, it became an official holiday, primarily a day set aside to honor
veterans of World War I.
But
then World War II and the Korean War happened, so on June 1, 1954, at the
urging of veterans service organizations, Congress amended the commemoration by
changing the word “armistice” to “veterans” so the day would honor American
veterans of all wars.
4) For
a while Veterans Day was officially recognized on the fourth Monday of every
October. Congress signed the Uniform Holiday Bill in 1968 to ensure that a few
federal holidays including Veterans Day would be celebrated on a Monday hoping it
would encourage travel and other family activities over a long weekend.
On
Oct. 25, 1971, the first Veterans Day under this new bill was held and as you
would guess, there was confusion about the change. Within a few years, it
became apparent the public wanted to celebrate Veterans Day on November 11th,
since it was a matter of historic and patriotic significance. On Sept. 20,
1975, President Gerald Ford signed another law which returned the annual
observance to its original date.
Now to
last week’s “Remember When” question. The name of the Russian-like spies
working to "catch Moose and Squirrel" in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
were Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale working for the dictator Fearless
Leader. I received correct answers from Cheri Brent, Carole Earl, Jess Birge,
Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket Barbara
Cadwell.
My
high school class showed their unique sense of humor by using the #1 hit song “Flowers
on the Wall” as the theme for their spring dance – since many of us were considered
“wallflowers”. For this week’s ‘Remember When’ question, what musical group recorded
“Flowers on the Wall”; was Johnny Cash’s backing vocals for over eight years; and
hosted their own show on The Nashville Network? Email your answer to
mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it with a
brand of facial tissue the band was named after – and it wasn’t Kleenex!
Well,
it’s been another week, trying to stay ahead of the curve. Until we meet again,
as my wife said to me, “You know you’re old when you can’t recognize half of
the Halloween costumes. (And what or who is Marshmellow?)
“The
reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.” George Eliot
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