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11/11/2009

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Hoppy's Commentary for Wednesday

Talkline Host Hoppy Kercheval

Related Stories:
Completed Mission At Veterans Memorial

Reflecting on Veterans' Day

Veterans Parade in Charleston

Facts, numbers and quotes on this Veterans Day

--Veterans Day began as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of fighting in World War I on November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m., known as the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

--Armistice Day was made a legal holiday in 1938, primarily to honor World War I veterans. The honor was extended to all veterans by an Act of Congress in 1954.

--In 1968, Congress approved the Uniform Holiday Bill so that Veterans Day and several other national holidays would be bumped up to a weekend to create a three-day holiday. The decision angered many veterans and the original date of November 11 was restored in 1975.

--There are approximately 24 million military veterans in the United States. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, West Virginia has 202,000 veterans representing 14 percent of the state’s population.

--According to the Veterans Administration, there are approximately 2.2 million living World War II veterans, 900 of whom are dying every day.

--Charles Town, West Virginia resident Frank Buckles is the last know living American who served in World War One. Buckles, who is now 108, enlisted in the Army when he was 16.

--Three-point-three million veterans receive some form of disability, and 273,000 are rated as 100 percent disabled.

--Approximately 621,000 Americans have died in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

--The West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston lists the names of 11,427 West Virginians who died in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Now, some quotes about war.

“We know more about war than we do about peace, more about killing than we know about living.” Gen. Omar Bradley.

“What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purist joys and happiness God has granted us in this world.” Gen. Robert E. Lee

“I have never advocated war except as a means of peace.” Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.

“The military doesn’t start wars. Politicians start wars.” Gen. William Westmoreland.

“The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his.” Gen. George Patton.

“I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who as seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” General and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower.

“Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a solder dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war.” Otto Von Bismark.

“There is only one decisive victory: The last.” Karl Von Clausewitz

“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” Plato

User Comments

Taps, I am an Army Brat and grew up hearing taps played at the end of the day, it was "lights out" or "extinguish lights". It had a whole new emotion when I heard it played at my dad's funeral. My Dad died on duty in South Korea in 1963 of natural cases. He was with the Army Medical Corp during WWII he participate in 5 invasion 3 in New Guiennea and 2 in the Phillipines; he was awarded 5 Bronze Stars for his service. He was SFC RAYMOND CASEY.

On Veterans Day, 2009, I remember my dad, Col. S.D. Griffith, who served in North Africa and Italy from 1943 until the end of WWII.

Lincoln had ir right. "The world will not long remember what we say here; but it cannot forget what they did here." The 'here' for vets runs from Breeds Hill to Gettysburg to Normandy, Berlin, the Chosen Reservoir, the I-trang valley, Bagdad and Ft. Hood Texas.

I think a history lesson may be in order here. Veterans were summarily dispatched from Decoration Day to the cold winds of November. On Decoration day, the tradition was, ONLY those graves of Veterans were to be celebrated and decorated. This was the way Veterans were separated from the remainder of the population. The only way you can truly honor a Veteran is to celebrate them aside from the general public. I see those "Thank for Your Service" comments all over the place. Give me a break. No one cared when I went in the service, nobody cared while I was in Vietnam, or when I got out and no one cares now. Just don't patronize us. If you don't REALLY mean it, don't say it. If it just a reflexive or instinctive bodily function, keep it to yourself; I would appreciate it!

THANKS TO ALL VETERANS WHO GAVE ME MY FREEDOM. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

To all the veterans that have served honorably in our military, let me say that you are truly the heroes of our great nation. If my math is correct WV has about ½ of 1% of the population but has given up nearly 2% in deaths. We should be proud of the sacrifices of our sons and daughters to preserve freedom. May God continue to bless our soldiers, veterans and our country.

Excellent collection of Veteran's Day facts and quotes, Hoppy! I think it's good to note that as a percentage of state population, West Virginia ranks high (could be the Number One state) in enlistment in the Armed Forces. Our citizens have (and continue to) proudly serve our country as men and women in military uniform. We all need to take time today to honor their heroic service and thank them for keeping America the free and great nation it is today.

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