Color Guard
Larry Ingram
Veterans Day is observed annually on Nov. 11 and honors military veterans. It was originally called Armistice Day to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I; major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Weeks led a delegation to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of national Veterans Day. Weeks led the first national celebration in 1947 in Alabama and annually until his death in 1985. Elizabeth Dole, who prepared the briefing for President Reagan, determined Weeks as the “Father of Veterans Day.”
The close of World War II resulted in not only a vast increase in the veteran population, but also a large number of new benefits enacted by Congress for veterans of the war. In addition, during the late 1940s, the Veterans Administration (VA) had to contend with aging World War I veterans. During that time, “the clientele of the VA increased almost fivefold with an addition of nearly 15,000,000 World War II veterans and approximately 4,000,000 World War I veterans.” Further educational assistance acts were passed for the benefit of veterans of the Korean War, the Vietnam Era, the introduction of an “all-volunteer force” in the 1970s (following the end of conscription in the United States in 1973), the Persian Gulf War, and those who served following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Today there are 108 veterans’ organizations in the United States. The largest of these is the American Legion with approximately 2.4 million members and the Veterans of Foreign Wars with 1.2 million members. The members of these organizations come from all different branches of the military and consist of all ranks. It is the camaraderie of veterans from the various branches of the military, working with veterans for the benefit of veterans, that motivates these men and women to donate numerous volunteer hours to support veterans’ projects.
The SaddleBrooke Ranch (SBR) Veterans Club was established to give SBR veterans a chance to socialize, share stories, provide opportunities to participate in patriotic programs, and receive information on various veterans’ programs. There are no dues and the only requirement is you must be a vet. Spouses are always welcome.
This year’s guest speakers included Jeri Harwood, Certified Service officer and past commander of the local VFW; Brian Watson, Special Agent with IRS Criminal Investigation investigating financial crimes; Tanya Morrison, Cemetery Administrator, Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery (AVMC) at Marana; John F. Scott II, Director, Arizona Department of Veterans Services; Ed Dunlap, Arizona Honor Flights organization; and Jeff Utsch, Senior Faculty Lead Instructor at the Leadership and Freedom Center in Gettysburg, Pa.
This year, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 a.m., the SaddleBrooke Ranch Veterans club will be having their annual Veterans Day celebration, at the Sol Ballroom. SBR staff will be providing breakfast for all vets and their families, free of charge for vets. American Legion Post 132 Honor Guard will present and post the colors. All veterans, active duty, National Guard, reservists, and their families are welcome. You don’t have to be a member of any group. You just have to be a vet, that’s enough.