As the clock chimed eleven times, on the 11th of November, in the year of our Lord 1918, the Allied nations and Germany set into effect an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, effectively ending the First World War. A year later, the President of the United Stated proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.
Also known as Remembrance Day in the UK Commonwealth, the event is tied in shared memory with fields of poppies. The red poppy is featured in the poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian surgeon Lt. Col. John McCrae in 1915. McCrae died in France in 1918, before the end of the war.
The US Congress recognized the end of the Great War with a concurrent resolution in 1926 commemorating 11/11, which became a legal holiday in 1938, Later, in 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress changed the US observance to Veterans Day. Except for a short span in the early 1970s, Veterans Day has been observed in the US on this date ever since.
Where Memorial Day honors the memory of American soldiers killed in action, Veterans Day honors the service of all American service members, from the Revolutionary War starting in 1775. Veterans Day is meant to honor all veterans of the uniformed services who served or are still serving during times of peace as well as war.
I appreciate the service of my friends and family who are Veterans. I was not called to serve, yet I know I would not enjoy freedom without their service. In my family tree, I have identified 752 relatives (near and very far) who have had military service, out of 29,869 current entries living and deceased. This includes 46 Killed In Action. About 57 of my direct ancestors served the US and in their native nations, whom I have identified so far:
- I’ve written about my 3rd great-grandfather Pvt. Orrin Brown (1836-1909), who served in Co. E, 14th Michigan Infantry, who marched through Georgia with Gen. Sherman in 1864-1865.
- Henry Asbury IV (1750-1816)
- James Atherton, Immigrant (1626-1710)
- Lt. Moses Bailey (1743-1842)
- Josiah Ball (1712-1791)
- Ensign Hopestill Bent (1672-1725)
- Abraham Bryant (1640-1720)
- Capt. William Clark Jr. (1656-1725)
- Lt. William Clarke (1610-1690)
- Elias Conklin (1758-1839)
- Lt. Nicholas William Conklin (1724-1811)
- Marcus Dempsey Jr (1752-1810)
- Mark Dempsey Sr (1723-1780)
- Cpl John Fletcher Jr (1713-1807)
- Cpl William Gray (1727-1780)
- Thomas Hamilton (1754-1827)
- Daniel Harris (1726-1792)
- Henry Hunt (1725-1794)
- Daniel Hunt (1723-1807)
- Rev. John Hussey (1635-1707)
- Capt. Christopher Hussey (1599-1686)
- Philip Jacob Leddick (1760-1839)
- William Locke (1748-1829)
- Henry Matteson (1646-1690)
- Daniel Moses (1729-1776)
- Joel Munn (1786-1819)
- Phineas Munn (1736-1820)
- John Munn (1652-1684)
- Capt. Benjamin Munn (1623-1675)
- William McCain II (1739-1807)
- William McCain (1708-1814)
- Stephen Norris (1725-1811)
- Shadrach Norris (1756-1824)
- Pvt. Elias Roberts (1727-1778)
- Pvt. Jonathan Ross (1728-1778)
- Samuel Russell (1712-1793)
- Joseph Seager (1723-1788)
- James Henry Severe (1775-1849)
- Capt. Robert Severe (1755-1803)
- James Smith Sr (1637-1701)
- Capt. Jan Van Etten (1720-1786)
- Sgt. John Wait (1680-1744)
- Sgt. Benjamin Waite (1640-1704)
- Peleg Weaver (1786-1819)
- Andrus Weaver (1768-1836)
- Sgt. Clement Weaver (1625-1683)
- Rev. Samuel A. Williams (1826-1903)
- Aaron Williams (1745-?)
- Zachariah Woodbury Jr (1762-1831)
- Lt. Zachariah Woodbury (1730-1815)
- John Woodbury (1630-1672)
- John Woodman (1763-1853)
And the Swedish Soldier Family, ancestors of my dad’s Tillstrom family:
- Nils Olofsson Eos (1785-1864)
- Olof Ingesson Kierman (1751-1827)
- Joen Steenson Kierman (1667-1716)
- Steen Danielsson (1640-1702)
- Daniel Nilsson (?-1656)
In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
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