Armistice Day

The day Americans celebrate as Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day, a day to commemorate the end of The Great War in 1918.  On November 11 I prefer to think of ending war so the original name has great appeal to me.

On this day then, I remember that the one thing every combatant seeks more than anything else is peace.  I look forward to the day when the world will have no veterans of war, only the memory of their sacrifices during those unenlightened times when we did not know how to make peace.

For now, though, we have plenty of war veterans, living and dead.  It is right and proper that we remember them and their sacrifices.  One veteran who died this year was (and remains) among my great heroes:  George McGovern who flew 35 missions as a bomber pilot in World War II and spent many of the years since then speaking against war.  He spoke the truth when he said, "I'm sick and tired of old men dreaming up wars in which young men do the dying."

Armistice Day, a day to remember that peace is possible if we stop thinking that war is an acceptable option.

Peace out!