The Chronicles Of Grant County

Veterans Day
2023

(The image was provided courtesy of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023.)

Today is Veterans Day.

This is the day designated by the United States of America to honor military veterans who have served our nation with honor.

The service of military veterans of what was then called the "Great War" was recognized by then-President Woodrow Wilson in his "Address To Fellow Countrymen" in 1919.

According to a book issued by the Bureau of National Literature, Supplement to the Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Covering the Second Term of Woodrow Wilson, March 4, 1917, to March 4, 1921, President Wilson stated on November 11, 1919:

"A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and more just set of international relations."

"The soldiers and people of the European Allies had fought and endured for more than four years to uphold the barrier of civilization against the aggressions of armed force. We ourselves had been in the conflict something more than a year and a half."

"With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns, we remodeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. We were able to bring the vast resources, material and moral, of a great and free people to the assistance of our associates in Europe who had suffered and sacrificed without limit in the cause for which we fought."

"Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men."

"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 nations."

Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, the then-Governor of New Mexico, issued a proclamation in 1919 to remember the sacrifices of the veterans of the Great War.

It appears, however, that some of the local folks may not have been aware of the proclamations until mid-day.

The Deming Graphic reported on November 18, 1919, in its "High School Notes" section, that "On Armistice Day we did not hear of the Governor's proclamation that all schools should be closed, until it was too late to close school for the day. But we didn't mind because the first thing in the afternoon we had a general assembly. Mr. Martin [Edwin D. Martin, the then-Superintendent of the Deming Public Schools] just told us of the proclamation issued by the Governor and that after the assembly we were to be dismissed. This announcement was greeted with applause (lucky for us that the high school building is strongly built)."

"The assembly was further made interesting by Major Clyde Ely who was speaker of the occasion," the news article continued. "He spoke on self control and what peace really means to us. Mr. Ely is in favor of military training in the schools. We all enjoyed his talk."

On that same day, in Grant County, people gathered in Santa Rita in remembrance of the armistice being signed the year before.

According to a news article in the Albuquerque Morning Journal on November 14, 1919, "The anniversary of the signing of the armistice was wittingly observed in Santa Rita. The Casey-Jennings post of the American Legion, one of the strongest posts in the state, was responsible for the good time which was partaken of by several thousand people from all parts of Grant County. The Fort Bayard post was over in full and with the aid of Hurley and Silver City posts, the local post proved to the people of Grant County that when they go out to put on a celebration they do it in the right way."

In 1919, a Democratic President and a Republican Governor both recognized the debt we as a nation owe to the military veterans who have worn the uniform of our country.

Today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, please take a moment to remember the men and women who have served our country in uniform through the years.

Please also reflect on the men and women who are currently serving the United States of America in places from Syria and Iraq to South Korea and Poland.

We thank you all for your service in our name.

Do you have questions about communities in Grant County?

A street name? A building?

Your questions may be used in a future news column.

Contact Richard McDonough at chroniclesofgrantcounty@mail.com.

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© 2023 Richard McDonough