If you work in the consumer facing Death Care business it’s pretty likely that you come into contact with Veterans of the United States Armed Forces on a consistent basis.  For me, as a funeral director, most of my time with the older veterans in my community was at funeral services where they were gathered to honor the military service of the deceased.

 

I’m old enough that when I started working at funeral services in 1980 those veterans who provided the volunteer Honor Guard at funeral services were veterans of World War I.  I still remember many of them including these three, all widowers,  — Harry Gulson, Frank Johnson, and Oscar Bergner.

 

 

They were great guys.  . incredibly modest and they always stayed around to participate in the funeral lunch with the families of the veteran’s they were honoring.  They were all about or over 80 years old and enjoying having me, at the age of about 22, sitting down with them and telling them of my generation’s “world”.  They were sincere and greatly interested.  I learned a lot from their upbeat take on the world and their ability to let tough issues just seem to roll off their backs.

 

The truth be told, it was those old World War I vets that taught me, simply through their attitudes about life,  about going to work and not complaining. . . .about when you set out to do a task — finish it. . . . . and that America is worth standing up for.

 

I’ve seen old films of World War I and saw on those films the conditions that these men served in while in Europe.  They never let me know of those conditions. . . . simply saying that they were doing their duty for our country.

 

I just want to use today to let you know that Veterans Day, as it is now known, stems from what used to be called “Armistice Day”.  It’s observed on November 11 of each year because the fighting of World War I was officially ended at 11 am November 11, 1918.   Many people simply remember the date by saying “It was the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month.

 

According to this article from Wikipedia, “Armistice Day” was renamed “Veterans’ Day” in 1954 and now commemorates the service of all United States Veterans.  That is in contrast to Memorial Day, which according to the same article, “specifically honors those who have died while in military service”.

 

Regardless of your political pursuasion, I believe that we all owe a great debt of gratitude to these warriors. . . . and all of those men and women who have served in the military of our country from the Revolutionary War all the way up to present day.

 

May God Bless them for their service.

 

Related Information —

 

• Here is the website of the American Battle Monuments Commission which includes information all United States military cemeteries and battle monuments located outside of the United States.

• 15 Respectful Ways to Honor Veterans on Veterans Day (and year-round).  Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce blog (WA)

• Journey to Serve website.  A collaborative effort to hire more military veterans into the funeral service profession.

 

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Camanche Council considers cemetery fee increases.  Clinton Herald (IA)
• An embalmer worked by flashlight as the floodwaters rose.  Charlotte Ledger (NC)
• Oldest Black-owned business in Alabama celebrates 125 years of service in Birmingham.  WBRC – Birmingham  (AL).  MSN Start
• 101 indigent, unknown people buried with dozens of strangers there to mourn them.  “We’re going to walk that last walk with them.”  Chicago Tribune (IL).  Yahoo News

 

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”