This Sunday is Nov 11th...Veterans Day.  When first established as a national holiday it was called Armistice Day to commenorate the ending of the First World War on that date in 1918.  The document of surrender was signed on that date & at that time in a rairoad car in the forest near the outskirt of the small French town of Compiengne.

In spite of the carnage that took place, on a then unheard of level---casualties as high as 5% of the total population in some European nations (can you imagine 15 million US casualties today?)---the so-called "Great War", the "War to End All Wars" failed miserably to accomplish that lofty goal.  Many of the world's subsequent problems, including those of today, are still the same.  Perhaps little has changed except the focus of the issues & the lethality of modern weapons of war.  

But that should not, however, be allowed to diminish the contributions & sacrifices made by those who have defended our freedoms, either past or present, whether on the battlefield in time of conflict or by standing guard in time of peace.  The debt we owe those brave people is enormous; far beyond payment.  All we can do is to honor them for their courage & dedication.

You may hear "Taps" played at some point this weekend.  The story of the origin of the melody is too long to recount here, & some of you may know it already, but you may not know there are also these words:

Day is done
Gone the sun
From the lakes
From the hills
From the sky
All is well, safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light
Dims the night
And a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaning bright
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.