November brings about many things: falling leaves, cooler weather, and every grocery store having all their chicken stock sold out.
But November also brings Veterans Day. What was originally known as Armistice Day, marking the end of the First World War, the purposefully ceremonial date and time of 11 o’clock on November 11 brought an anticlimactic end to a tragically horrendous war, where shelling continued until the very last second – despite that the document providing the ceasefire was agreed upon and signed a few minutes prior to 6 o’clock that morning. The Veterans Day we know today was put into effect in 1954, when the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans.” It was later established as a federal holiday the same year.
Distinguishing between Veterans Day and Memorial Day can be confusing for some folks. They are both federal holidays and both revolve around military service. The difference is whom you are garnering respect towards. Memorial Day is in memory of those of made the greatest sacrifice. Veterans Day is for those who bore witness to those sacrifices.
I, by no means, am the first person to write about Veterans Day or differentiating the two holidays. However, while roaming Noblesville, I stumbled across the memorial to fallen servicemembers that sits between the old county courthouse and the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center.
The memorial to Hamilton County’s fallen servicemembers can be found between the Historic Courthouse and the Government and Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville. (Reporter photo by Hayden Parsons)
After reflecting on the names etched in stone, what occurred to me was the absence of names that never would be engraved: the veterans.
On Memorial Day, we gather at cemeteries, public parks, statues, and memorials to give our due respect to the fallen. For Veterans Day, most of us will simply enjoy a day off work and spout a quick “thank you for your service,” to someone wearing a military veteran hat.
But as I pondered the two holidays, I realized that we do visit memorials on Veterans Day. The bittersweet reality is that the men and women hosting these ceremonies every year – the members of your local American Legion or VFW Posts – are living memorials themselves. They represent a different type of sacrifice. They are the ones who are burdened with bringing the memory back to us. This revelation makes the phrase “Happy Veterans Day” mildly oxymoronic. While no veteran will likely complain about getting a free stack of pancakes at IHOP (if that is still being offered) among the other sporadic perks exclusive to the day, those same veterans won’t complain about the weight they carry the remaining 364 days of the year.
Don’t take this column as one person’s outcry to belittle the public’s enjoyment of a holiday. By all means, if you have the day off, enjoy the long weekend to its fullest extent (safely). Don’t be afraid to thank that veteran for their service (and a tip for you veterans/servicemembers out there: a good reply that takes away the awkward silence or “uh, thanks,” is to say “thank you for your support”). Just remember, when you offer that handshake, you’re not just acknowledging a person, you’re experiencing Hamilton County’s living memorials.
And to the living memorials out there who may be reading this column: a heartfelt thanks to you for your experiences that made you a living memorial. After all, one experience may not define a person, but a person is nothing more than the sum of their experiences.
Hayden C. T. Parsons is the newest associate at Adler Attorneys in Noblesville.