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Showing posts from November, 2011

Remembering Veterans of America's Forgotten Wars

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Armistice Day was begun in 1919 to commemorate the veterans of the “War to End All Wars.” Sadly, World War I was not the last the world saw of war. Therefore, in 1953, Armistice Day was repurposed as “Veterans Day” to celebrate those who had served in all American Wars.    The Heroes of the War of 1812 Courtesy of NYPL Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection Since then, the veterans of both world wars, the Korean War, Vietnam Conflict, Desert Storm, Iraq War, and American intervention in Afghanistan have been honored on November 11. However, if we truly want to remember the sacrifices of American soldiers, we need to remember some of the forgotten wars in which the U.S. military has served. Yes, we all remember the Battle of the Alamo (and therefore the Texas Revolution), but do you remember the Quasi-War between America and France? And what about the Barbary War (mostly remembered for the “Shores of Tripoli” line in the Marine