ARMISTICE DAY

November 10, 2003 - It was Armistice Day; the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month; the end of the War to End All Wars; to make the World Safe for Democracy. Except it is no longer Armistice Day; nor the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day. We have given up on ending all wars or even celebrating the just end of one war. The last war is scarcely over when the next war has begun so it is Veterans' Day, the Second Monday in the Eleventh Month of year after year and war after war. And then what is it that we celebrate on Veterans' Day?

The veterans of the War to End All Wars are gone on. Their parade has passed the reviewing stand forever. Their sons, who fought to repel the totalitarian conquest in Europe and Asia and the Korean peninsula are going, the tail of their column taking the last salute. Their grandsons, emerged from the mire of the Vietnamese swamp march with slowing steps and their great-grandsons home from the First Iraqi War have no doubt that they were sent to drive aggressors out. What is it that we celebrate on Veteran's Day?

In just the week before this year's Veterans' Day three dozen American troops and one Polish soldier have been sacrificed on the altar of war; crucified on a cross of iron with nails of lead and fire; burnt offerings to the Gods of War. They have joined that phantom regiment marching to eternity while dawn has brought another to the ranks. What is it that we celebrate on this Veterans' Day? What is it that we celebrate on this Veteran's Day?

Do we celebrate the Patriot Act, destroying American liberty in order to save it? Do we celebrate the imposition of Iraqi freedom at the point of a hundred thousand guns? Do we celebrate our transmogrification into those that our fathers fought?

Or do the phantom regiments march in their Grand Review to simply celebrate war?