“The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”
…So the story goes.
But that was back in 1918. What was once Armistice Day is now Veteran’s Day. What then celebrated the armistice of ‘the war to end all wars’ now celebrates veteran’s of all battles and wars. But unlike many changes this one is not a bad one. So, today we honor those who chose to do what the rest of us chose not to do. For their service the rest of us should be grateful.
I met this gentleman on the train on the way back from Baltimore earlier in the fall. I approached him because I was curious what the pin on his lapel was for, I knew it was something having to do with military service but that was all I knew. He respectfully and proudly told me that it was the Navy Achievement Medal (he also referred to it as the NAM). If memory serves me right he served in the Marines (which is part of the Navy). I thanked him for his service and decided to pry no further. An honorable display of style.
