Dear Annie, et al, I'm so pleased that the message that I posted to the list inspired you to respond to the list the way you did. Armistice Day always had a special meaning to me and I had difficulty when the name of it was changed to Veterans Day. Nonetheless it was one holiday that they didn't just fit into the monthly calendar so that it would fall on a Monday. Armistice Day still is celebrated on November 11 and on that 11th day at 11:00 a.m., there still remains a moment of silence in remembrance. "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row . . ." And as I was surfing around this evening I was especially pleased to find several websites devoted to remembering the original meaning of Armistice Day. But there was one particular website that really impressed me http://www.astro.yorku.ca/~lee/rem_day.html. You see, I had always viewed Armistice Day from my American--the United States of America--point of view. But this evening that website made me realize that WWI was just as memorable and important to the Canadians--maybe even more so. I also didn't realize that the poem "In Flanders Fields" was written by a Canadian doctor who was there in Belgium treating the wounded at the time that he wrote the poem. I have a feeling that the original meaning of Armistice Day will be forgotten within the next few years and even though I can personally appreciate the meaning of Veterans' Day, it just doesn't have the same meaning. It would be like adding Pearl Harbor Day (December 7) to Veterans' Day--just lumping all of our wars into one day of remembrance. I feel that we're just throwing a blanket over all of the wars and maybe taking one minute out of the year to pay our respects and reflect a bit. But unless we can focus a moment in agonizing over what our ancestors or families endured during the individual wars that they and we have gone through--from the French and Indian War, through Vietnam, the Gulf War, etc.--we'll view ALL of the wars as just a a blur with no special meaning. In spite of my being a veteran, Veterans' Day will continue to be a rather unemotional day for me. For me, I prefer, "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row." And if you want to hear about what it was like as a little girl who still remembers Pearl Harbor Day, just ask me. Lest we forget. vee ----- Original Message ----- From: <Cardi2@aol.com> To: <NYNIAGAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2000 11:36 PM Subject: Re: NYNIAGAR-D Digest V00 #219 > My father was on a troopship bound for Europe on the 11th day of November > 1918. The ship turned around and went back to Norfolk, VA from where it had > come. My British-born father became an American Citizen in 1919 because of > his time in the American Armed Forces. I have his citizenship and honorable > discharge papers. He became a citizen thru an Act of Congress and by the > State of New York. He went home to his fiance, my mother, and they were > married in Dearborn, Wayne County, MI 9 October 1919. > > I never call 11 November 'Veteran's Day." It will always be Armistice Day. > I had four Uncles in the British Army who surived that war - one at Verdon, > one somewhere in France (I don't know the name of the battle), one in India, > and one in Yemen. > > Annie > > > ==== NYNIAGAR Mailing List ==== > For a list of Niagara County records microfilmed by the LDS church, see > <http://www.familysearch.org>. >