Not everyone will make it to the Veterans Rally Point in the Norwich Business Park this morning at eleven minutes after eleven o'clock for the Veterans Day observances sponsored by the Peter Gallan American Legion Post #104 Taftville, CT, and the Norwich Area Veterans Council, but I'm sure there's a remembrance near where you live.
This is not Memorial Day-we honor everyone in uniform, living and dead, past and present, today. When I was a kid, today was called Armistice Day, because it began as a commemoration of the end of The World War, which was later known as World War I for the sadly obvious reason that we had a World War Two. There was always a moment of silence to mark the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Our servicemembers are often out of sight and out of mind, scattered across and around the world. Heroes and heroines in uniform are making a difference every day in more ways imaginable, allowing all of us to somnambulate with our eyes open, as we don't see the lives we could have led because of the incessant assault we endure.
It's a new world and a new generation, but those making the sacrifice are the old souls who have always borne the burden--not just those at locations marked with dots on the map of countries we cannot name, but all those who whet the blade of the sword they wield in our name in defense of everything we are and will ever be.
As a nation, we are more filled with self-doubt and profound conflict than at any time in at least my lifetime. There will always be light and dark, but we shall prevail because we must. For anyone, anywhere, now or then, in uniform who placed service over self, whenever and wherever that is and was, thank you.
Sometimes we forget the very words we meant to say-but as long as we don't forget those who earned that gratitude, we will always be worthy of their sacrifice.
-bill kenny
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