Veterans Day: Did you know?

Originally, the name for this holiday was Armistice Day (armistice is an agreement to stop making war), the end of World War I,  and was held on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

 

• Great Britain, Canada, France, and Australia, all have similar days to honor veterans. In Great Britain and Canada, it's called Remembrance Day. For these countries, it is not necessarily on the 11th of November but is usually close to that date.

Of veterans in our country,

• 7 Million served in Viet Nam
• 5.5 Million served in the Persian Gulf
• 16 Million served in World War II
• 2 Million served in Korea
• 5.2 Million Veterans have served the country during peacetime; all veterans who have served in any capacity are honored on Veterans Day.

 

• 2.9 Million veterans have been disabled while serving their country
• 2 Million Veterans are female
• There's no apostrophe in the term Veterans Day

Interestingly, the term "war" is up for debate. What is 'war,' versus 'conflict,' 'Operation,' 'or 'intervention'? An interesting paragraph from MPN:

 

World War II was the last time Congress officially declared war. Since then, the conflicts we’ve called “wars” — from Vietnam through to the second Iraq War — have actually been congressional “authorizations of military force.” And more recently, beginning with the War Powers Act of 1973, presidential war powers have expanded so much that, according to the Congressional Research Service, it’s no longer clear whether a president requires congressional authorization at all. We could be considered to be currently involved in 0 wars or 134, depending on your definition.

 

Read the whole article here:  http://www.mintpressnews.com/us-now-involved-134-wars/196846/

 

The branches of the United States Military and what they do:

• Air Force: defending the country by air; also, space exploration
• Army: The oldest branch, and the largest, they supply troops on the ground
• Navy:  Defenders of the seas
• Marines: Ground forces supported by the Navy. The Marines do not have their own medical support as do the Army and Navy.
• Coast Guard: Defenders of our coasts

If you see a veteran today, offer a Thank You for their service. They don't hear it enough.