Speaking Volumes

Tomorrow is Veteran’s day and as I thought about blogging on this topic I realized how little I knew about this holiday and how sad that was.  My dad’s a veteran.  I’ve some close friends who are veterans.  Regardless of my views on wars or ‘armed conflicts’ and the politics which surround such things, I am very appreciative of and sympathetic to the men and women who have and continue to work in and with the military.
 
So, curious, I started to investigate.  Veteran’s day began as Armistice day, proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919.  November 11^th being the anniversary of the singing of the Armistice that ended WWI.  WWI formerly ended at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month.  But it wasn’t until a Kansas shoe store owner’s influence and campaign in 1953 that the holiday was expanded to all veterans.

Interestingly also, I learned that in 1971, in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veteran’s day was moved to the fourth Monday of October, but in 1978 it was moved back to its original day.  I’m glad of this, it makes it more noticeable.
 
So, to all the Veteran’s out there, thank you!
 
And for anyone who would like to know more about Veteran’s or Veteran’s day, check out these materials at the library!

Non- fiction:



After the war zone : a practical guide for returning troops and their families / Laurie B. Slone and Matthew J. Friedman. 
 
Beyond valor : World War II's Rangers and Airborne veterans reveal the heart of combat / Patrick K. O'Donnell.

Film



Alive day memories [DVD] : home from Iraq / Attaboy Films ; HBO Documentary Films ; produced by Ellen Goosenburg Kent ; directed by Jon Alpert, Ellen Goosenburg Kent ; produced and photographed by Jon Alpert, Matthew O'Neill.  
 
Coming home [DVD] / United Artists ; produced by Jerome Hellman ; directed by Hal Ashby ; screenplay, Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones ; story, Nancy Dowd. 
 

Fiction



 
Day / by A.L. Kennedy
 
613 West Jefferson / D.S. Lliteras