Wars never end. Wars are never over. Even when the fighting stops, the war goes on for the combatants and their victims. Casualties occur far beyond the battlefield—for every loss, there is extended grieving. Wounds may heal but scars remain. Memories may fade but some events continue to haunt. There may be peace treaties but ideologues may never surrender. For every physical territory we may capture, hearts and minds elude us. It is nearly impossible to change political and religious beliefs.

The American Civil War ended with surrender in 1865 but continues to this day. It continues in the minds, actions and policies of believers of the Confederate cause. We see it manifest in the symbols , monuments, and glorification present to this day. This historic lost cause is not the only one rearing its ugly head.

The truces and ceasefires that occur to resolve conflicts are fragile, temporary, and often broken.

The Great War (1914-1918) was a global conflict resulting in some 30 million military casualties and 8 million civilian deaths. After World War II, we began calling it the First World War or WWI. This war changed the nature of war entirely with chemical weapons, tanks, aircraft, and machine guns. These new and improved technologies produced destruction so widespread and losses so great that it seemed “the war to end all wars.” Stalemated with prolonged trench warfare, the slaughter continued for four years.

On November 11, 1918, the warring parties signed an armistice agreement. When the fighting stopped, there was joy and relief across the globe that war itself might end. Yet this was not a Peace Treaty. An armistice is an agreement to cease fire. Nevertheless, the significance of this accomplishment prompted President Woodrow Wilson to proclaim November 11th as Armistice Day. In 1938, Armistice Day became a federal holiday in the United States, dedicated to world peace and honoring veterans of World War I. November 11th will always be a day to celebrate peace.

At the height of the Cold War and under pressure from veterans’ organizations,
Congress changed the name to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.

Indeed we should recognize the sacrifices that veterans have made. We should acknowledge their honorable and sometimes horrific experiences. Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors those who died while serving in the country's armed forces. We already have a day, Armed Forces Day, that honors all of the men and women currently serving, as well as those who have served, which is already a Veterans Day.

It is time to bring back Armistice Day on the 11th day of the 11th month to preserve and celebrate a time when the world believed there truly was an end to war. This can be a day to contemplate and evaluate how we address conflict and dedicate ourselves and our nation to work for peace.

I am a combat veteran of the Vietnam Conflict (an undeclared war). Our government drafted me, trained me to kill, and deployed me to a war zone where I witnessed and participated in actions that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I did not want to be a soldier and yet, I was a good soldier. My response to “Thank you for your service” is “Don’t thank me for my service. You don’t know what I did. My country made me do it and I was just a kid.”