20061111 Veterans Day

Veterans Day – November 11^th, 2006

Today is Veterans Day. With respect to current discussions on the War in Iraq, and in a time of contentious political change:

“With the great traditions of the past and with an eye for the future, one thing we can all hopefully agree upon is that today is a time to pause to remember and celebrate all of our nation's men and woman in uniform. We all appreciate their past and present sacrifices for our great nation.

One thing to be sure is that the only thing consistent in our world is constant change. Over the last 100 years, we have witnessed tumultuous elections, pestilence and plague, and many social, political, government and economic upheavals and changes.

One thing that has not changed is that it is a man or woman in uniform that has steadfastly stood guard so that our nation and our community may have the security and comfort to address the changes and challenges of our times.

The above is taken from my Tentacle column for Veterans Day 2006. The rest of the column can be found here: “Veteran's Day” Saturday, November 11, 2006 by Kevin E. Dayhoff…

Last year’s 2005 Tentacle column can be found here: November 11, 2005

“Veterans Day” by Kevin E. Dayhoff. It begins:

“My family is going to go to Gettysburg on Veterans Day. What’s Veterans Day?” The words come from a little sandy-haired child as I was leaving an elementary school in Westminster after giving a talk to two third grade classes on “Living in Carroll County.”

Last Wednesday’s Westminster Eagle column was titled, “Era that created 'Veterans Day' also produced societal change ,” It begins:

This Saturday is Veterans Day, a day originally set aside to pay our respects to the veterans who fought in World War I.

Veterans Day commemorates "the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918, when the guns of World War I went silent, ending the horrors of the first modern war-making ... [Read full story]

President George W. Bush’s Veterans Day proclamation is pasted below…

Veterans Day, 2006

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

In Focus: Veterans

Through the generations, America's men and women in uniform have defeated tyrants, liberated continents, and set a standard of courage and idealism for the entire world. On Veterans Day, our Nation pays tribute to those who have proudly served in our Armed Forces.

To protect the Nation they love, our veterans stepped forward when America needed them most. In conflicts around the world, their sacrifice and resolve helped destroy the enemies of freedom and saved millions from oppression. In answering history's call with honor, decency, and resolve, our veterans have shown the power of liberty and earned the respect and admiration of a grateful Nation.

All of America's veterans have placed our Nation's security before their own lives, creating a debt that we can never fully repay. Our veterans represent the best of America, and they deserve the best America can give them.

As we recall the service of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen, we are reminded that the defense of freedom comes with great loss and sacrifice. This Veterans Day, we give thanks to those who have served freedom's cause; we salute the members of our Armed Forces who are confronting our adversaries abroad; and we honor the men and women who left America's shores but did not live to be thanked as veterans. They will always be remembered by our country.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2006, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 5 through November 11, 2006, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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