JS Tip 501: Veterans Day

On Sunday, pause and think of the date. The eleventh day of the eleventh month. The one hundredth anniversary of the end of the Great War. The War to End All Wars. World War One.

They called it Armistice Day. We call it Veterans Day. 

Years ago, I lived and worked in England. I visited with an elderly gentleman, and he apologized for coming to the door so slowly. “It was the war,” he said. “World War One.” 

“How so, sir?” 

“My legs froze. The trenches were filled with water to our waists. We lived like that.

“The only way we could sleep was in groups of three. Two men would support a third man while he slept for twenty minutes. Then we’d wake him up and another would sleep for twenty minutes. 

“I remember one time, one time, when I dreamed. I dreamed I was on the deck of a freighter crossing the Indian Ocean. It was warm, and I lay down on the deck to take a nap. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my chest and the warmth of the cargo hatch on my back. It was wonderful.  

“And then I woke up.” 

In our lives of gas fireplaces, central heating, and electric blankets, we need to remember the sacrifice of veterans.

On Sunday, track down two or three veterans. Tell them you appreciate their sacrifice. And tell them why. That’s important: Tell them why.   

We shared this experience earlier. Six years ago. It’s worth repeating.