Commentary
With all the political news to cover, as a veteran I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize my fellow veterans and those currently on active duty on this day, Veterans Day, a national holiday dedicated to honor American veterans living or dead.
It is not to be confused with Memorial Day, which honors American service men and women killed in service to their country.
Veterans Day has a long history of how it became a national holiday.
It was in 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11month that a cessation of hostilities was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I that Armistice Day was commemorated in many countries.
It wasn’t until 1938 that Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a national holiday.
After lobbying efforts by veterans’ organizations, President Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954, designating November 11 Veterans Day, but in 1968 Congress foolishly sought to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees, making Veterans Day the fourth Monday of October in 1971.
After a hue and cry from patriotic Americans, President Ford signed a law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11, beginning in 1978, with the provision for a Friday or a Monday included in a three-day holiday if the 11th fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
Reminded of the13 service men and women killed during the Biden-directed withdrawal of Afghanistan, Biden inappropriately checking his watch during the somber arrival of their caskets at Dover Air Force Base, and his inability to comfort the families, I wondered about the wording of his Veterans Day proclamation.
Why was I surprised that in it he mentioned his son, Beau, comparing him with veterans of Belleau Wood, Gettysburg and Guadalcanal?
With his all of government approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, Biden approved the establishment of an Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Pentagon. This clearly resulted in the services being unable to meet recruitment quotas.
Not to be forgotten is the Biden-Harris administration’s funding for housing, food, health care and education for the millions of illegals permitted to enter this country, while homeless military veterans are overlooked.
It isn’t enough for the president to end his speeches with, “and may God protect our troops.”
Looking ahead, President Elect Trump clearly has the admiration of our military. He met with the families of the 13 killed in the Afghan withdrawal and was invited by them to place wreaths at their graves in Arlington on August 26, 2023.
That same day, speaking to the National Guard Association in Detroit, he said, “I’m in this fight to reclaim America’s future. We will restore peace world peace,” to a crowd of more than 4,000 camouflaged guard officers, their spouses and guests.
Ignoring the accusations of disgruntled former generals, who claim he disrespected the miliary, Trump resolved that “Under my leadership we will bring back the values that you enlisted your lives to defend sovereignty, liberty, free speech, and fair, equal and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law,” he said.
May God bless our Veterans – those who served and those protecting us today.
