November 11, 2007

It sure is nice to have the day off tomorrow (sorry to all of you who don't). I remember that it isn't just a random day off from school in order to fill the calendar, it is a national holiday - Veterans' Day (formerly Armistice Day). It is the day we are to honor all those who have served to defend the United States (originally, as Armistice Day, it was to be a worldwide day of remembrance after World War I, "The Eleventh hour, of the Eleventh day, of the Eleventh month." But with World War II, the US decided to make it simply our own little holiday.) So to all you vets out there, thank you. Thank you for defending our country and our lives. By putting your own life at risk to defend millions of people you don't even know. The United States would not be what it is today were it not for you. And Grandpa, thank you. You fought in World War II to protect the US abroad and to save the lives of millions of people in Europe.



I have tried to get my Grandfather, now in his eighties, to tell me the story of his life. As a history teacher, I want to hear about US history through his experiences and observations. Unfortunately, he has been reluctant to open up, which seems to be the case with most people of his generation.