Along the vast network of trenches defended by acres of barbed wire and landmines, machine guns, and artillery, at the 11th minute of the 11th hour, of the 11th day of November 1918, the “War To End All Wars” ended.
A generation of men had been consumed by the First World War. The nature of warfare was changed forever by “the Great War.”
There may be a few survivors of that war still alive. There are no longer any U.S. veterans of WWI alive.
20 some years later, Bill Mauldin penned Willie & Joe in combat over the same blasted ground in Europe. He caught the mind of our soldiers most accurately as he captioned one cartoon:
"Th' hell this ain't th' most important hole in th' world. I'm in it."
I am old enough to recall veterans of The Civil War and the Spanish-American War. I know, or knew participants in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Granada, Panama, Gulf War I, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Of all American Wars, I lack direct contact with veterans or participants in only three; the Revolution, The War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War. I’m not that old, but that is a sobering statement which makes me feel older than I want to be.
The “Great War” did not end all wars. In only two decades, the globe was ripped by simultaneous war in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific islands. The U.S. was largely protected by its location but that protection is now gone. We’re burying our WWII vets at a rapid pace now and have essentially remained at war since the end of WWII as we find some police action, some government/terrorist alliance that must be displaced and destroyed. The next war may well be incubating in the bowels of some Iranian fanatical force’s HQ.
Just for today, we need to stop and recall that moment in 1918 when the guns fell silent. We need to recall our families and friends who have answered the call to the colors since then and taken their place in the long thin line of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and others who have served the nation, and its all-too-often uncaring citizens in uniform, in dangerous places. The pool of veterans is gradually growing smaller and will most likely continue to do so as the methods and mechanisms of war shift from wholesale industrial slaughter to wars of information acquisition and the use of robots and computers linked to forces on the ground but able to call support from around the world.
I don’t know whether or not such changes in warfare bode well or evil for our soldiers. I can only wish them safe returns as they play their roles in history.
I don’t know whether or not such changes in warfare bode well or evil for our soldiers. I can only wish them safe returns as they play their roles in history.
To those gone before and those still with us on this Veterans’ Day, may you find the peace and honor you deserve. I salute you, brothers and sisters in arms.
I’ll let Snoopy close for the day.
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