Santa Claus arrived in Kalamazoo
on Saturday (much too early to suit me and many others) as thousands attended
the annual Holiday Parade. The jolly one got lots of appreciative oohs and aahs
as he was escorted by 11 marching bands and a variety of floats, but he was not
the star of the show in southwestern Michigan
last week.
Santa clearly lost the appreciation contest to the U.S. military.
Active G.I.s and veterans were showered with gifts starting the weekend before
Veterans Day (Tuesday). Free meals and
discounts on all sorts of goods and services continued in some cases right up
until Santa grabbed the next weekend spotlight.
November 11 observances have undergone a transformation
during my lifetime. Originally,
"Armistice Day'" marked the end of World War I. It was a day of
reflection and a time to honor those who gave their lives or were crippled in
the conflict.
When I was a youngster, people observed a moment of silence
at 11 a.m., when the treaty ending the war was signed. Everyone was encouraged
to make a donation to the American Legion Auxiliary in return for a red
"remembrance poppy," a paper creation we wore all day in honor of the
dead soldiers buried in France .
The Legion ladies used poppy donations to benefit disabled veterans or other
vets or their families known to be in need. I remember my Dad encouraging me to
drop a nickel or dime in the collection can as he explained the significance of
the poppies.
Armistice day was important in my family. Dad, his two brothers,
and my Mom's brother all served in WWI. One of my uncles came home from France
permanently disabled from effects of a gas attack. Another returned with a
Croix de Guerre medal awarded by the French government for bravery.
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| As fewer World War II vets remain alive, they get lots of love. (Associated Press photo) |
All died years ago. There are no veterans of World War
I alive today in the U.S. The old Armistice Day customs,
however, continue to some extent. Church bells still ring at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11
in a small town near us. Veteran firing squads still launch volleys marking the
time. Although I've not seen a remembrance poppy worn for several years, there
may be places where they are available.
Wikipedia tells us that remembrance poppies remain common in
other nations, especially the UK ,
and there the day to honor those who gave their lives in battle is titled
Remembrance Day. That seems appropriate because the U.S. played a relatively small role
in World War I, where trench warfare produced wholesale slaughter.
The U.S.
didn't enter the five-year conflict until almost the final year. Casualties
totaled 320,000. That seems like a lot, but consider that British
Empire dead and wounded totaled more than 3 million and French
casualties topped 6 million. Some 37 million people from all participating
countries were killed or wounded in the horrific struggle. The U.S. military casualty
total was much higher in World War II--more than a million.
During World War II, Armistice Day began to morph into
Veterans Day. Informal observances using the new name started in 1947. In 1954,
Congress officially recognized Veterans Day, declaring it a national holiday
and a time to honor all veterans.
I was discharged from the Army in 1960, and don't recall any
wholesale changes in observances until fairly recently. The old Armistice Day
traditions simply continued under a new name. Veterans usually were respected,
but not always. Many Vietnam War vets complained about shabby treatment when they came home from the
killing fields in Indochina .
If anything, recognition and tangible rewards for veterans
declined. My brother-in-law and other Korean War vets pointed out that
monuments in city squares omitted them. Supposedly, that was because Korea
officially was a "police action," not a war. The nation's biggest
veterans' organization, the American Legion, refused membership to thousands of
veterans of my era, a practice continuing today. An ungrateful government
reduced or eliminated some veterans' benefits for us as well. On Veterans Day,
a vet might be thanked for service with a fee doughnut or cup of coffee in a few
places, but those were about the only tangible gifts from private people that I
remember.
Everything seemed to start changing after the 9/11 attacks.
Suddenly, those cups of coffee became free meals. A huge variety of businesses began to offer 10
percent or more price reductions to veterans. Because some hotels and motels gave
room discounts, the proverbial "three hots and a cot" provided to
active duty G.I.s could once again be enjoyed by veterans. Offering gifts to
vets seemed to take on a snowball effect, and it hasn't stopped yet.
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| I think this Denny's ad deserves an award for salute creativity. |
This year lists of free or cut-rate offerings on Nov. 11,
and sometimes throughout the week, were easy to find. It was a "take your
pick" situation.
I was right there picking. With our continuing home
remodeling project far from completion, it was a great time to get needed items
available at leading big box stores for 10 percent off. While on the track of some
special items, my son and I were near a Denny's restaurant, so I claimed one of
my favorite things--a free "build your own breakfast." In the evening
after more discount shopping, beautiful wife Sandy and I visited Applebee's
where I enjoyed a free steak dinner.
Just for fun, I added up the total value of my Nov. 11
discounts and freebies. The gifts were worth $111.30. And I didn't even have
time to get the free haircut or car wash offered by businesses near my home.
By coincidence, my biggest paycheck in the U.S. Army was
$111.00 a month. It usually lasted about two weeks. Maybe payback time finally
has arrived? Thanks to all the "thankers" who back up their words of
gratitude with material gifts. You, too, deserve a salute.
