Younger American generations don’t know wartime by experience. Since conscription even in peacetime ended in 1973, military service is voluntary, so most of us don’t know military service. Although the United States suffered a terrorist attack on 9/11, the year was 2001, and current college-aged students have no contemporaneous memory of living through even that kind of nationwide crisis and feeling the very real trust we have in our military for domestic protection. History honors our veterans of the United States Armed Forces and annually our grateful nation recognizes the devotion and selfless service our men and women give freely.
Today, a grateful nation will observe Veteran’s Day and honor our veterans who have served our country, including those who served in World War I, also known as the Great War, which lasted more than four years during 1914-1918. An estimated 4 million soldiers were mobilized and more than 100,000 Americans in the United States Armed Forces died and more than 200,000 were wounded during military service in the Great War. Unresolved political issues contributed to the beginning of World War II almost 20 years later, where more than 16 million Americans served and more than 400,000 were killed and nearly 700,000 wounded.
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