
I still tend to think of the day as Armistice Day. In November 1918 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day as a Commemoration of the the 1917 armistice of World War I, the war to end all wars. The "Treaty of Versailles" was signed on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1917. On May 13, 1938 the day was made an official holiday.

Since my family has been in this country they have been involved in all of their countries wars. With the exception of my father, who was drafted, the family all volunteered. Great Grandpa Indivan Pierce was in several small and two major battles of the Civil War. He was grieviously wounded at the Battle of Berryville. Dad was in the Army in World War I.

It should be noted that Henry was exempt from serving at all due to having a war essential job. He could have been safe and earned big war time dollars. Instead, he turned down the exemption and joined the Navy. He had his "Irish" up and wasn't about to miss a fight!
My brother Ray had a special story. Like his brother and father, Ray was a journey man molder--a highly skilled job that carried a full exemption from the war. Wanting to follow Henry, Ray tried to turn down his exemption and join the Navy. He was not permitted to do so.

In three months, when his exemption expired, Ray again tried to volunteer for the Navy. At that time people in jail could volunteer to serve in the Army and be let out of jail. Ray was included with 16 jail birds and put in the Army. His service is a fascinating example of the miltary inefficency and the seemingly foolish moves our veterans had to endure.

Yes, he had been molding since he was a kid and probably knew more about molding than the instructors.
After graduating from molding school, would you believe, he was assigned to guard German POW's in Montana. As the Army scraped together forces for the invasion of Japan they remembered that Ray was a trained machine gunner. He was returned back to the infantry at Fort Lewis, WA. On a troop ship he had passed Hawaii when the atom bomb ended the war. He was returned to Fort Lewis and discharged.


The son's of my brothers and sister, Jim Pierce, Henry Lee Pierce and Harold Sturgeon, were all in the Vietnam War. Henry Lee made a career of the Navy and retired as an officer.
Thankfully, none of my grandsons have had to serve but several of my more distant relatives are still in the service.

At the risk of being a cheerleader for myself, lets hear it for our veterans!
Elmer Davis:
"This nation will remain the land of the free only as long as it is the home of the brave" .
PLEASE VOTE IN 2010!
God Bless, and thank you Lord for our liberty!
1 comment:
Your Jim Pierce wasn't ever stationed at Fort Hood in Killeen Tx, was he?
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