Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Veterans Day 2026 offers us an opportunity to honor all who have served in our nation’s military. Many of us ground that tribute in the stories of our own family members and friends who sacrificed much – even their lives –  to defend and protect our country.

Remembering “The Greatest Generation”, I cherish the memories of my Dad and uncles, one of whom died on Iwo Jima. I honor the service of my nurse friends, veterans of the wars in Korea and Vietnam. I have a deep respect for my co-workers who have given long service in the military reserves, while balancing job and family responsibilities. I thank them and all their fellow patriots.

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But this annual remembrance also invites us to reflect on the character of our Veterans Day commemorations, and what it suggests about American culture and identity as the years have passed. Has Veterans Day gradually become more about celebrating military power than renewing our commitment to peace?

Before 1954, this remembrance was known as Armistice Day, originally recognizing the cessation of World War I on November 11, 1918.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
(The United States Congress Concurrent Resolution on June 4, 1926)

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In the early years between 1919 and 1954, the tone of observance was one of gratitude for the end of war and for freedom from the desperation it had cast over peace-loving nations. The hope, before 1939, had been that the world would never again experience such horrors. The imperative to build peace infused universal hearts that had been deeply wounded by war.

But the tragedies of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran wars mock that imperative. History regrettably documents our inability to answer the demands of peace. It lauds the unending courage of brave veterans, while it judges the leaders who instigate war’s necessity.

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Over these intervening years, there has been a subtle but significant shift in our national attitude on November 11^th – from peace and resocialization of our veterans, to military domination and might. This shift has been sustained and accelerated by the infinitude of the Cold War and the stunning scars of September 11th. It is currently fueled by brutal aggressions in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and multiple sites in Africa.

On Veterans Day, this philosophical deviation transforms a solemn day of remembrance for the human costs of war into a celebration of American dominance. Veterans are increasingly portrayed not only as those who served with sacrifice, but also as symbols of America’s military preeminence.

In recent decades, presidential proclamations from both parties have increasingly emphasized military strength as the guarantor of peace. While national defense remains essential, the language of peace through diplomacy has often receded behind celebrations of military power.

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Supporting the resultant military obsession absorbs not only our impulse to peace, but also vast funds that might have promoted it. That money has to come from somewhere, and at times it comes from the very programs intended to help veterans of earlier conflicts. The first obligation of a grateful nation is to care for those who have already borne the burdens of war.

Veteran Service Organizations fight to redirect that loss. Instead of accepting generic praise on Veterans Day, groups use their political capital to demand the full enforcement of legislative victories like the Honoring Our PACT Act, forcing the government to pay for toxic and genetic battlefield exposures rather than just funding new weapons systems.

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We honor veterans best not merely by thanking them, but by working to prevent unnecessary wars, insisting that promises made to veterans are faithfully kept, resisting the temptation to glorify aggression, and holding political and military leaders accountable whenever they choose conflict too quickly over diplomacy.

Veterans Day 2026 invites, as always, our deep gratitude and respect for all our military personnel, active and veteran. Our times also demand serious advocacy for peace, honesty, and reverence for life so that we may pass to the next generation the honorable legacy our forebears have given us.  We want to give our children a future that has not forgotten the power of respect, honesty, truth-telling, and peace-seeking. We want to give our veterans both the tribute and support they have earned.

May God give us the leaders who can carry this demand.