In 1938, Armistice Day was declared a national holiday. In December 1941, the United States entered that war too. World wars seem less likely today. But our service men and women remain in harm's way. The dangers are all the more perilous because they are not obvious.
Terrorists rely on the unexpected to drive fear into the hearts of their enemies.
In 1954 shortly after the Korean War, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the hero of World War II, declared Nov. 11 as VeteransDay. Though its commemoration was changed to the fourth Monday in November for 10 years, in 1978 Congress reinstituted the Nov. 11 holiday in recognition of that date's historic significance. The Great War ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Friday was a holiday for many, but today is when we honor those who fell in battles large and small and those who still serve courageously to guard our freedoms. The value of a military under civilian control is especially obvious this year as the presidential election is in turmoil.