It is traditional for military Veterans Day ceremonies to be held on the 11th hour of the 11th day of 11th month, in remembrance of the signing of the Armistice in 1918 that ended World War I. Sadly, that “war to end all wars” was not the end and our military men and women have continued to be in harm’s way for many generations.
That is why it is so important to honor our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines and recognize the sacrifices they have made—and are making—for our country.
As a military wife who lived on or near Army bases for 22 years, Veterans Day is especially meaningful. I know the hardships our troops face—long separations from family, grueling training, the ever-present threat of danger. And I know how much the men and women of the military appreciate simple acts of kindness and respect.
That is one reason I am so proud of the students at Cook County High School. I’m proud of “our” kids for a lot of reasons. They excel at a number of sports and display good sportsmanship wherever they go. They are academic all-stars. They are talented musicians and artists and actors and just all-around nice kids.
But the special concert to honor our veterans is probably one of the nicest things that our students do. It is wonderful that these busy kids, with all the activities that they could be concentrating on, take some time to recognize the sacrifice of others.
The students have good role models in the teachers and administration at the school. Last year when the plan for the first-such Veterans Day concert was devised, the teachers and students of course thought of following the traditional time for Veterans Day observances—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
While their hearts were in the right place, the concert planners did not realize the program conflicted with the long-standing tradition of a Veterans Day ceremony in Grand Portage. That ceremony, complete with songs from the Grand Portage traditional drum, flag raising and a Veterans Day ceremony honoring both United States and Canadian veterans, has always been held at that time.
Last year, veterans had to make the difficult choice between the traditional Veterans Day ceremony and the meaningful concert performed by community youth.
After the 2010 concert, school staff learned that the concert conflicted with the ceremony. They graciously agreed to move future concerts to a later time. They scheduled the concert not only late enough in the school day so that it didn’t conflict with the Grand Portage ceremony, they planned it as late as possible so veterans had time to get to Grand Marais for the concert too.
A perfect Veterans Day gift—a simple act of kindness and respect. The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.
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