Cigars: The Right Gift For The Veteran In Your Life - By: Ann Knapp

Twenty-five million United States citizens are armed-services veterans of one stripe or another. They don't always get much in the way of thanks for the difficult job they've done.

Luckily, for those of us who have veterans in our lives, the late autumn offers us a chance to remember to pay our respects.

Veterans Day--no apostrophe required--is celebrated in the United States on November 11. In other parts of the world, this day is celebrated as well, under the name Armistice Day, which was its original name in the US as well. Originally, it designated the day on which, in 1918, formal hostilities associated with World War I finally ceased. No one reading about "WWI" (as it's commonly abbreviated--though most WWI'veterans would have blanched at the thought of there being a II) in dry history book or high-school text can begin to appreciate what a miracle this day--11/11/18--seemed to those nations who were party to that tiresome, unending conflict. The war had dragged on for years, wiping out nearly an entire generation's young men, including many of Europe's best and brightest. The world felt the effects of war on a large and traumatizing scale.

And worst of all, it had been prolonged by a political leadership that, on all sides, didn't seem to want to let it end. To many it must have seemed as if the nightmare would never cease. Of course, the world did finally realizing an end to this long and far-reaching conflict - and in rememberance, much of the world has celebrated November 11 (though the date occasionally moves) as Armistice Day since 1919.

In the United States, in 1953, a shoe store owner in Emporia, Kansas, had the meaningful idea of expanding this holiday in America. Rather than solely remembering the unique World War I and hoping for world peace--which were the original purposes of Armistice Day, why not use Armistice Day to honor all veterans, including those who had recently routed the Nazis (and those were then soon to return from the war in Korea)? After all, in 1953, the country was full of people who had only recently served in World War II, fighting to rid Europe of fascism. They were home, making creative contributions to the economy and to their communities, and many Americans felt that they deserved a formal show of gratitude.

Other Emporia businesses liked the idea, opting to close their doors on Veteran's Day. The Emporia congressional representative, Ed Rees, heard about what his constituents were doing back home and lobbied his fellow congresspeople to make the new holiday national. A bill was drafted, and it passed quickly. On May 26, 1954, Dwight Eisenhower signed this redefinition of Armistice Day into law. The official renaming of the holiday--Veterans Day--came soon after, on November 8, 1954. And today we use Veterans Day, at best, to celebrate and remember those veterans among us.

If you're looking for an extra-special way to convey those thanks to military personnel, on Veteran's Day or anytime, consider a box of premium cigars. Of course, a gift is only a momento - and the most important thing is to never forget and to always remember those who have served.

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