LEST WE FORGET: Armistice Day | Remembrance Day | Veterans Day

November 11 means slightly different things in different parts of the world, but in one way it means the same to everyone that recognizes this day: respect, honor, and reverent silence.

Nov 11, 2024

The author’s father, Waldon C. Rancie, circa 1940, in his Army Engineers Corps uniform, before service in Palestine, Egypt, and Darwin. He served from 1939-1945. The engineers were said to be first troops in and last out to any battle scenario, doing the “dirty jobs” like digging or blowing up trenches and building or destroying roads and bridges. This “happy” persona did not last the whole war. Years of battle took their toll on everyone.

LEST WE FORGET

In 1992, I was on a family tour around Australia, two adults and six children between the ages of 2 and 16. In Far North Queensland, in the rural City of Bundaberg, I was out for an early morning run. As I turned a corner, I saw an RSL building (the Returned and Services League looks after Australian Veterans and their families). On one wall, taking up the entire wall, was a painted sign, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”1 No matter which country we may be from, as we remember Veterans and Serving Men and Women, it’s important to remember who served, but also why.

On November 11, at about 11am, in any city across Australia, in any year since 1919, a crowd has gathered, an official speaks the following, in a loud, clear and respectful voice …

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
(A stanza from the poem, For the Fallen | by Laurence Binyon, first published 1914)

A bugle sounds across the parade ground or assembly area: The Last Post (symbol of the end of the day and the end of a turn on earth)

A one or two minute silence follows.

Then the bugle sounds again, with Reveille (symbol of a new day and resurrection) and the official reverently says …

Lest We Forget!

There is usually somewhat more than the above, but that is the very heart and soul of each event. Such is the pattern on Remembrance Day.

Another poem is regularly part of ceremonies and remembrances, especially in Commonwealth Countries —

In Flanders Fields | by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, written May 3, 1915 (during “the war to end all wars”)

***************
    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.

An article by Veteran's Administration Canada provides this account of the writing of In Flanders Fields:^“The day before he wrote his famous poem, one of McCrae's closest friends was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave with a simple wooden cross. Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Unable to help his friend or any of the others who had died, John McCrae gave them a voice through his poem. It was the second last poem he was to write.”

What Was the Origin of All These Types of Memorial Events and Services?

Armistice Day, now known in many countries as Veterans Day or Remembrance Day, originated in the aftermath of World War I as a solemn observance to honor those who served in the military and to mark the end of one of the most devastating conflicts in modern history. The date, November 11, holds a particular significance as it commemorates the moment the armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany, officially ending hostilities on the Western Front. This ceasefire took effect at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918 — "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month."

Origins of Armistice Day

The origins of Armistice Day trace back to the brutal and bloody nature of World War I. The scale of loss, both civilian and military, was unprecedented, leaving deep emotional and cultural scars on many nations. With millions dead and even more wounded, World War I was referred to as “the war to end all wars.” When the armistice was signed on November 11, it brought much-needed relief and was celebrated as a milestone of peace. Armistice Day was first recognized by many of the Allied nations in 1919, one year after the end of the war. In the United States, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, as a day to reflect on the heroism of those who served and to honor the sacrifices made.

The Spread of Remembrance Day

As the years went on, Armistice Day became widely observed around the world, evolving into Remembrance Day in Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, established November 11 as a day of remembrance to honor both the military personnel who died in World War I and, later, those who served in subsequent conflicts. The red poppy became the symbol of Remembrance Day, inspired by the famous poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, which describes the poppies growing in the fields where soldiers lost their lives. The image of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance has since become deeply associated with the observance in Commonwealth countries.

11 a.m. on November 11: The Symbolism of the Eleventh Hour

In many countries observing Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, 11 a.m. on November 11 is a particularly poignant moment. This "eleventh hour" serves as a symbolic time for collective silence and reflection, marking the exact time when the armistice was signed in 1918. A two-minute silence is observed in countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as in France and Belgium. The solemnity of this moment allows people to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for peace and freedom, and it reinforces the notion of a unified memory across different nations.

Veterans Day in the United States

In the United States, Armistice Day was officially renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor not only the soldiers of World War I but all veterans who served in the military, whether in peacetime or wartime. Unlike Memorial Day, which specifically honors those who died in military service, Veterans Day recognizes the contributions and sacrifices of all military veterans. While some Americans observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. on November 11, Veterans Day celebrations typically involve parades, ceremonies, and events that recognize veterans' service to the nation.

The Significance Across Nations

Each year, November 11 and the eleventh hour resonate across borders, bringing together people of diverse cultures and backgrounds in a shared moment of remembrance and respect. In France, Armistice Day is a public holiday with ceremonies at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. In Belgium, the city of Ypres holds a moving ceremony at the Menin Gate to remember soldiers of the British Empire who died in the region. In Canada, Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in most provinces, marked by services and events across the nation.

The observance of Armistice Day and its counterparts like Remembrance Day and Veterans Day reinforces the importance of reflection and memory in fostering peace. The "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" stands as a powerful reminder of the past and a call to work towards a more peaceful future.

Waldon Rancie (left) near the end of WW2, a much more seasoned and less gregarious person than at the beginning of the war.

Though his work was mostly menial, during the war and after it, Waldon survived the war years and lived a long life.

Waldon Clyde and Annie Isobel Rancie, in the 1940’s after WW2.

He loved his garden. Waldon died in 2012, almost 95 years of age. He had a large family and a strong body almost to the end of his life. Many others did not come back. And many of those who did, from any war, had traumatic injuries and other challenges. Waldon made it a point to march every year in the memorial parades held in Melbourne Australia (and in most major cities). Even in his 90’s when he was in a wheelchair, at his invitation, one of his sons or grandsons would push him for the entire march. While he admits he went off to war somewhat on a whim, he never forgot his mates, and never forgot what he was defending, or why.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them …

… and remember why and for what they served … liberty, democracy, freedom!

LEST WE FORGET!

This phrase, and its common variant, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” is usually attributed to the third US President and influential author and statesman, Thomas Jefferson. However, the researchers at the Jefferson Presidential Library, Monticello, say, that, “We currently have no evidence to confirm that Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" or any of its variants.” They continue: “This quotation was well-known in the nineteenth century, and was in fact used by a number of famous figures, including Frederick Douglass, James Buchanan, William Henry Harrison, and Ida B. Wells. It can be traced back, ultimately, to John Philpot Curran's statement, "The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."Curran was still being directly quoted (more or less accurately) and credited with the quote in American newspapers in the early nineteenth century, but before long the quote was being used without Curran's name, and was being shortened to its more well-known modern form.