"The Great War" officially ended on November 11, 1918. In 1919 President Wilson declared November 11 of that year to be the first commemoration of Armistice Day.

As a child in the early part of the 1950's, I watched my dad march down Main Street in Russell, Kansas with the U.S Army Reserve unit of which he was a member. (Following four and a half years of service in WWII, he had enlisted in the Army Reserve as a Master Sergeant, and was subsequently returned to his former rank of CWO-3. He served until 1964.)

In 1954, the Congress and President Eisenhower changed the name of the November 11 holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans' Day. Ike's first Veterans' Day proclamation read in part, "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose." November 11 became a national holiday dedicated to all those who have served in our nation's armed forces.

Then from 1971 until 1977, the Veterans' Day holiday was changed to a Monday, so that federal government workers could enjoy a 3-day weekend. Americans were appropriately scornful of the change, and since 1978, Veterans Day has been celebrated on November 11, as it should be.

I was sitting at home alone last night in front of my computer, wondering what to write in celebration of Veterans' Day this year. I thought back to last month when I saw my old friend Bill Buchheister, who had earned a Silver Star in Vietnam.

Then I thought about other friends, who deserve at least as much, but who died in Vietnam, their courage mostly unnoticed. So, this is for them:

Gary Lee "Bugs" Binder (06 Dec 1946 - 13 Oct 1967)