veterans' day {november 11, 2022)

November 11, 1918. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice  was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day and is now a holiday dedicated to veterans of all wars.

Above is my grandpa. He hailed from the tiny town of Danvers, IL, served in WWI and as a Mennonite, had non-combatant status. I don't know much about his service, other than he and other non-combatants were stationed at Illinois Wesleyan University managing some type of a supply chain.

“Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us.” ~ Ronald Reagan

My father-in-law proudly wore this hat. He chose not to have ribbons on his uniform, rather he displayed his accomplishments on this U.S. Naval Aviation hat along with a few other pins that had relevance to his time in the Navy. He accomplished a lot during his few years in the service. It took him a long time to open up about his time in the Navy and his time spent in the South Pacific.