An Iconic "Lucky" Number- a Veteran's Day Observation

World War I was the "War to End All Wars", the "Great War" and when it ended the world saw a picture of industrialized devistation unimagined before. The Treaty of Versaille did not end war, three decades later an even greater war sweept throught he world, and with the end of that conflict came the conflict between the victors, the Cold War that persisted until the 1990's. Perhaps that Great War was just one part of an on going conflict that went on until the end of the century, that it was the Great War.

Numbers are very symbolic for us, we infuse them with special meanings for us, that help to sharpen our cultural focus. In our generation, 9/11 has become more then a date in time, it is an icon of American Pride in a confusing and ever changing world. It is not the first time we have had such an iconic number that we have clung to. The number used to be 11, 11, 11. The lucky elevens! November 11th at 11:00 a.m. (1918) the cannons and guns ceased firing across Europe for the first time in a war that lasted four years of pounding destruction. The number 11 became a symbol of the peace and tranquility that suddenly came to European Civilization, like the Red Poppy, for those soldiers and civilians that lived throught the Great War.

We are at war again, now in a different part of the world. We honored our citizen soldiers for a day, we marched in parades and reflected on the sacrifices they have made on our behalf. We honor those that we did not parade for when they returned home from Korea, South East Asia, from the Balkan countries. We do we go from here?

In two weeks it will be Thanksgiving, and are thoughts turn to feasting and shopping, will we forget sacrifice the brave soldiers make every day, how will we honor them not that the parade is over for another year?