On Veterans Day

Here are excerpts of the speeches from President Bush and Vice President Cheney on Veterans Day and the statement from President-elect Obama: PRESIDENT BUSH (at the Intrepid in NY): Veterans Day has a long and solemn history.  The event that inspired it took place 90 years ago today, in a small railway car in a French forest.  November the 11th, 1918, the Allied Powers and Germany signed an armistice that ended one of the bloodiest wars the world had ever witnessed.  By the time that day arrived, World War I had raged for more than four years, and more than 8 million soldiers had given their lives.  But on the 11th hour of the 11th day of that 11th month, the guns fell silent -- and peace began to return to Europe. To commemorate the war's end, President Woodrow Wilson declared that November the 11th should be remembered as Armistice Day -- a holiday to honor the brave sacrifices of the American soldiers who defended democracy and freedom overseas.  Today, we know ... (link)