Honoring Our Veterans on Veteran’s Day

Tomorrow, November 11, is Veteran’s Day, originally called Armistice Day. An armistice is an agreement to cease fighting to negotiate the terms to end conflict, usually between warring countries. An armistice is a cease-fire, it is not a surrender.

The armistice that brought an end to hostilities between the Central Powers, Germany and her allies, against the Entente Powers, the US and her allies in WW1 in 1918. The cease-fire took effect at 11 a.m., on November 11. The ‘eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month’.

It was proclaimed a holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and became a legal federal holiday in 1938. Later the name was changed to Veteran’s Day to honor the Veteran’s of all wars. It is to honor those who died and to thank those who have served in our armed forces.

These items from the old newspapers talk about what the communities did to celebrate the day.

This from The Newcastle News-Journal, October 23, 1919 – The same vigor and enthusiasm which marked their fighting in France is reflected in the civilian activities of the American Legion, whose first state convention was held at Douglas last week. These aggressive patriots know what they want and are proceeding to get it.

Preservation of American institutions, law and order, they have declared for in no uncertain terms and if these should be seriously imperiled the boys of the American Legion know how to protect them.

One of the matters that came before the Wyoming cantonment, is the celebration of Armistice Day and they will call upon Governor Robert Carey to declare November 11th a holiday. The arguments in favor of this step are weighty. The date on which the Germans accepted the “crushing terms, virtually amounting to unconditional surrender, under which hostilities ceased was the most important in the lifetime of the generation from which the American Legion draws its members. Even the Fourth of July hardly commemorates a more momentous event than will be recalled by the celebration of November 11th; for while the former marked the establishment of the independence of our own country, Armistice Day signalized the liberation of the world from the tyranny of despots. Moreover, Armistice Day not only ended the Great War, but, unless our soldiers fought in vain, ended all war. (We all know how long that lasted)

It is realized that the country already has pretty nearly enough legal holidays and the time is drawing near when the creation of new ones will have to be stopped unless some of the less important celebrations are to be dropped in their favor. The greatest of all wars, however, and one in which the entire world was involved, deserves recognition.

The Revolutionary period gave us Independence Day; the Civil War gave us Memorial Day. The final struggle gave us November 11. With the great dream of the ages, the preservation of universal peace through the League of Nations, now coming true as a result of the sacrifices made by the heroes of the American Legion and their comrades of the allied armies, what would be more fitting than that November 11 should be celebrated throughout one world as Peace Day?

Mayors and governors throughout the country proclaimed the day. This from The Sheridan Post, November 11, 1919 – A Proclamation Tuesday, November eleventh, one thousand nine hundred nineteen is the first anniversary of the day that marked the cessation of hostilities and vouchsafed victory to the arms of the Allies in the world war. This day established an epoch in history and grave a greater security to the future peace and happiness of the peoples of the earth; all made possible by the willingness of two million of the flowers of American manhood to meet the supreme sacrifice for the honor of their country and the safeguarding of the world’s civilization. We owe to these men our profoundest gratitude, the highest honors we can bestow and our love and respect always. It is deemed but proper and just that the great work accomplished be recognized by some fitting observance of its anniversary. Therefore, I, M.B. Camplin, Mayor of the City of Sheridan, Wyoming, do proclaim Tuesday, November eleventh, “Armistice Day” and request the people of the city and county of Sheridan to close their respective places of business from eleven o’clock A. M. and abstain from their usual pursuits and join with the members of the American Legion in solemn and proper rejoicing. Given under my hand and the seal of the city, this 10th day of November, A. D. 1919 (SEAL) M. B. CAMPLIN, Mayor.

From the same paper

Full Meed Of Honor Due Boys In Khaki; Editor of The Post. A few short months ago, some eighteen hundred young men marched away from Sheridan to war. As the men were selected from time to time and sent to camps and cantonments to be prepared for the trials we were to pass through, we were escorted by leading citizens, bands of music and everywhere with the waving of the flag of our country.

At the station the tears of those we did not know were mingled with the tears of parents, brothers and sisters who never expected to see us again on earth. We went where we were ordered, did our duty as we were commanded. We did this for the love of our country, the honor of the symbol of our national greatness, and the protection of the homes and firesides of our people and our neighbors. The world knows and gratefully acknowledges what our soldiers did in France and what our sailors did upon the seas.

We are all back home now. All? No. There are those who will never return. Little wooden crosses mark their final resting places. They sleep in peace. We kept the faith and held high the flaming torch received from falling hands. It was our duty. We performed it to the best of our ability. Today, “Armistice Day,” the anniversary of the ending of the great world war. We soldiers of the republic feel that the day should be observed by more than passing notice. The Honorable Mayor has asked the people to suspend business and labor and join with us in proper celebration. We all feel that this should be done. We do not care for a holiday for the holiday’s sake. We want the people to attend our exhibition of relics the boys have brought back from the battlefields and help us make it a financial and social success. We want you to dance with us in the evening and show, if not the great enthusiasm you exhibited when we departed, at least some interest in our affairs, now that we are back home. Suspend business for a half day and make it your business to renew your acquaintance with the boys who traveled three thousand miles and faced death that your homes and your land were not destroyed.- America Legion

The Laramie Republican (Semi-Weekly), November 8, 1919 – Will Reenact Some of Scenes As a part of the Armistice Day celebration plans are being made to stage a sham battle, during which scones of the late war will be reenacted by veterans of the struggle. General Therkildsen will command one force and General Frazer the other. The ground between Garfield and Thornburg Streets on Second Street, will be “No Man’s Land,” and the battle area will cover the whole town, if it is so desired by the commanding officers The exact time for this encounter will be announced later, and it promises to draw a big crowd, the public bring being asked to watch for details, which will be published In the daily papers.

Although this one advertised was in April, several of these battlers were held in the southern part of Wyoming after WWI. There was a parade, tanks, cannons and machine gun fire.

The Laramie Republican, April 22, 1919

These are some ads from The Casper Daily Tribune, November 11, 1923

So, on Veterans Day honor a veteran, or attend a program to learn more about Armistice or Veteran’s Day and the wars that were fought to protect our freedoms.