On Veteran's Day 2018, then-Peace & Freedom Party chair John Reiger released the following statement on the holiday. We rerun the piece for this year's observance of the holiday, with an update in the opening clause.
For the last 68 years, America has celebrated “Veterans Day.” But Veterans Day is nor really Veterans Day. It was, until 1954, “Armistice Day,” a day to celebrate the ceasefire, and eventual peace, of World War I. “Armistice Day” was proclaimed by Congress in 1928 to be “a day dedicated to the cause of world peace” and to “perpetuate peace through goodwill and understanding.”
On June 1, 1954, Congress changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day. A day to celebrate the soldiers, not peace. This was during the McCarthy era and a time of strident patriotism (just like today). Now we honor “heroes” – celebrate our military strength – shower praise on soldiers and veterans, and get great sales deals at the mall. All of this turns the original meaning of the day upside down. This needs to change.
Bring back ARMISTICE DAY!
-- written by John Reiger