In the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Allies signed an armistice with Germany effectively marking the defeat of Germany and the end of WWI, which claimed the lives of more than nine million people.
This day, proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson at the time, became known as Armistice Day symbolizing the end of the largest war ever fought and honoring the veterans who fought it. Years later, President Dwight Eisenhower signed Veterans Day into law on May 26, 1954.
“Veterans Day is important because it gives the whole nation a chance to recognize and give thanks to its veterans for all the sacrifice required in serving the nation as a member of its Armed Services,” UH Veterans’ Services Program Director Allen Grundy said. “They are the protectors of this great democracy.”
Grundy said Veterans Day is important to him because of his own personal service, like many other veterans.
“This day is a memorable day because of my memories — how my service made me a more productive citizen as I spent 22 years in a combination of the Air Force and the Army National Guard,” he said. “It gave me patriotism that I did not have prior to entering the military.”
Today’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan mean there’s a new group of veterans to honor, and with a substantial group of student veterans at UH, the Veterans’ Services Office and the UH Corp of Cadets dubbed this week Veterans Awareness Week, hosting several events which started Monday and end today.
Grundy suggested that there is more than one way for students to take part in one of the national holiday.
“Students can participate in UH activities that highlight the memories of the living and deceased military veterans, or even tell a vet thanks for his or her service,” Grundy said.
The Corp of Cadets organized a 3 mile run through the campus in commemoration of Veterans Day, in which many veterans and volunteers participated. Donations will go toward benefiting the Michael DeBakey Veteran’s Affairs Hospital in Houston and the DeGeorge House at Union Station Shelter for Homeless Veterans.
The VSO is hosting “Honoring Our Heroes Day,” an educational seminar about veterans at 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. today in the University Center Arbor.
“We will have guest speaker professor Lawrence Schultz of the industrial engineering department talk about his present experience of joining the Navy at such a late age,” Grundy said. “We will also be looking at interviews done by the Veterans Oral History Project of some local heroes and heroes in our community.”
Additional reporting provided by Hiba Adi.
