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In Our View: Honoring Veterans

Veterans Day holiday marks centennial of World World I Armistice

The Columbian
Published: November 11, 2018, 6:03am

One-hundred years ago — at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 — World War I officially came to an end. The Allied Powers, led by the United States, claimed victory in what was variously dubbed The Great War or The War to End All Wars.

World War I also gave birth to what is now known as Veterans Day in the United States, a holiday set aside to honor those who have served in our armed forces. And as we pause today to acknowledge and thank those who have made a military commitment to this nation, the centennial of the Armistice lends particular poignance to the occasion. As President Woodrow Wilson said a century ago: “Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men.”

Roughly 21 million living Americans are veterans, including more than 500,000 in Washington. They are our neighbors, our co-workers, and the people we encounter at the corner market, and they serve as vibrant reminders of what indeed can be achieved when we act together for high purposes. A series of ceremonies and parades have taken place throughout the community over the past week, and a remembrance of the Armistice is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at The Historic Trust of Vancouver along Officer’s Row.

Veterans Day is significantly different from Memorial Day, although they both recognize this nation’s military. Memorial Day honors those who died in service of the nation, while Veterans Day acknowledges all military members. The role of the military during times of peace is significant in its own way, for it often is a strong and dedicated military that allows that peace to endure.

Although today is set aside as Veterans Day (the observed holiday is Monday), the occasion is a reminder that those who have served should be honored every day and that this nation often fails to live up to that commitment. Studies suggest that veterans are more likely to be homeless than the general population and that rates of mental illness are higher than average. This year’s point-in-time count of Clark County’s homeless population showed that the number of local homeless veterans has increased over the past year, but it has decreased over the past decade.

President Trump has increased the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, rightly reinforcing this nation’s commitment to those who have served on our behalf. While we often editorially decry the bloated defense budget, we are committed to caring for this nation’s veterans and fully funding the VA.

All of those issues come to mind today as we recognize Veterans Day and the 100-year anniversary of the Armistice. World War I, unfortunately, was not The War to End All Wars; in the years since then, those who serve nobly have ensured that the United States is prepared to defend this nation against the world’s despots and tyrants. As Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski is credited with saying: “Let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.”

That is well stated. And so we pause today to renew that promise and to thank veterans in our community and beyond.

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