In case you forgot, this Saturday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, although the federal holiday will be on Friday the 10th. And if I ask why we celebrate veterans on Nov. 11, do you know? Maybe not, so here’s the answer: The Armistice ending World War I was signed at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.
Ah yes, I remember it well …
That was a joke — I’m old but not that old! In fact, I flunked my own question because I had to look it up, which makes me wonder how we found out anything before Google. Then I remembered how. We opened a volume of the nearest encyclopedia (remember those?) or headed to the library, thumbing through the card catalog before browsing the stacks.
Wandering among tall shelves with books going up to the ceiling, we hoped to not run into that unwashed weirdo or a couple making out. Oh, the good old days.
But Veterans Day is not a time for jokes.
Let’s step back for a quick review of Hawaii’s participation in American wars, beginning with more than 100 island residents who died in World War I. And who doesn’t know about the U.S. Army 100th Infantry Battalion and heroic 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II? In the following decades, many locals have served in the U.S. military.
We remember all soldiers on Veterans Day because this is when we honor those who have fought to defend life, liberty and the American way.
But we should thank veterans not just on this one day but everyday and express gratitude whenever we pig out, shop ‘til we drop, watch silly TV shows or sit on our fat ‘okole surfing the Web for whatever pops into our pea brain.
So I’ll thank the nearest vet, the one I live with, my housemate of a hundred years, the guy who survived a 12 month tour of Vietnam, helped build an air base in South Korea and entered East Berlin before the Wall came down.
If you talk to any veteran, he or she will recount similar assignments, so ask them and they might tell you. But be mindful because many of those memories will not be happy ones and in fact, some soldiers may have seen things that no human being should ever see, which could be the source of post traumatic stress disorder. Be thoughtful and kind.
Should you thank them for their service?
This nicety started in the 1990s, perhaps out of guilt for the way some Americans treated those returning from the unpopular Vietnam Conflict in the 1970s. Let’s hope you weren’t among them and heaven help anyone today who spits on soldiers back from combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else.
So maybe to compensate, we often say “thank you for your service” to members of the Armed Forces.
But even if it’s sincere, many think this phrase is meaningless, similar to “have a nice day.”
In the Cohen Veterans Network, 49% of polled veterans don’t like it, first because they don’t know how to reply, but maybe because it lets civilians off the hook, those who have never put themselves in harm’s way. Easy to drop a cliche then return to a cushy lifestyle.
And what if it’s uttered by gun aficionados? Hey, if you’re so insistent on your right to bear arms and enamored of your Glock pistol or AR-15, then join the Army!
So. Thank you for your service. Maybe the correct response is: You’re welcome. Now tell me about yours.
Rochelle delaCruz was born in Hilo, graduated from Hilo High School, then left to go to college. After teaching for 30 years in Seattle, Wash., she retired and returned home to Hawaii. She welcomes your comments at rainysideview@gmail.com. Her column is published the first Monday of each month.
