11-11-2012

[Niner Delta]

Today is Veteran's Day in America, it's called other things in other countries, but it means the same thing everywhere.
We honor the veterans, especially those who never made it home.

So when I put up my flag on the front of the house this morning, a breeze came along just as I took the photo.

Vern.

[Niner]

Darn... I forgot to put out my flag.

I sometimes get Memorial day and Veterans days confused. In the US Memorial Day is for the memory of those who died in military service as a result of conflicts that the US has been envolved in. Veterans Day is to celebrate those who served in the US military at any time without respect to particular conflicts. I think the European's still focus on WWI on this date and those veterans who had served their respective countries are honored.

In the US:

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

Public employees get the day off tomorrow since the holiday landed on a Sunday. Various groups will parade in most towns and cities.